Dark Phoenix
by Lightningscar
Summary: "This camp isn't for me. I don't belong." A few years after Nico said this, some Campers apparently agreed. Will Nico find a new home at Hogwarts or will he meet rejection there as well? Will he even want to return to Camp Half-Blood when they need him? No slash. Ignores 'Heroes of Olympus' series, though characters from it might appear.
1. Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS, NOR DO I OWN HARRY POTTER.**_

Chapter 1: The Shadows Stir

"… historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be... prohibited."

She sat down and Dumbledore clapped. The other teachers followed his example, but Harry noticed that most of them only clapped once or twice before lowering their hands. A few of the students also started clapping, but very few of them had heard the end of the speech as they had stopped paying attention by its start. And before they even got to start the dutiful rounds of applause, Dumbledore stood.

"Thank you Professor Umbridge. That really was most illuminating." He bowed towards her. "Well, I believe I came to when tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place, which will be on the…"

But for the second time that evening, Dumbledore was interrupted. Only this time, there was no confusion as to why he had stopped speaking. The Great Hall was getting darker and colder, especially in the corner closest to the Gryffindor table. Then, all the shadows near the Gryffindor table seemed to gather at a spot on the wall, roughly five metres above the ground.

"What in the name of Merlin…"

Harry briefly glanced at Ron sitting beside him, but before he could utter a sound, there were several gasps around him. And he didn't need to look far from the source. The shadowy spot on the wall was bulging outwards and suddenly a person was flying out of it with great speed.

The person landed right on the table with a sickening crack and slid several feet before coming to a stop right before Harry, Ron and Hermione, sending food flying in every direction, eliciting screams and shrieks everywhere. Hermione gasped when she took in his appearance, and Harry couldn't blame her.

The person before them was no older than fourteen-fifteen, with pale skin tinted red from blood, but whether it was his own or someone else, Harry didn't know. Though, the blood on the boy's back had to be his own considering he had just scraped it against half of the Gryffindor table. And considering his torso was bare, it was no wonder his back was bloody.

The boy had long and shaggy dark brown-black hair and he wore a silver ring shaped like a skull. He was barefoot and his pants were black.

"Is he dead?"

Harry shook his head Dean's questions. "I don't think so. He is…"

All of them startled as Ron reached out to shake the boy, for the moment the redhead's fingertips touched the boy, he jumped to his feet, glaring at all them with intense brown eyes that bordered on being black. Harry involuntarily shivered. The eyes spoke of great suffering and anger, but they were also the eyes of a genius or a madman. But the boy barely spared them a glance. He was frantically looking around for something.

"MOVE!"

Harry instantly obeyed when the boy held out his right hand in his general direction, for had he lingered a second longer, he would have been pierced by a sword with three feet long blade that was as black as a nightmare, startling several of the Gryffindors.

"Young man, will you put down that sword this instance!"

But the teenager dully ignored Minerva McGonagall and kept his gaze fixed on the spot he had been spat out from.

"Come on you creeps. Those Campers summoned you for a reason."

Harry didn't have time to fully register the boy's muttered words, for in the next moment, something burst from the same spot the same way the boy in front of him had.

There were screams from all around the hall, for the creatures bursting forth was as taken out of nightmare. One was a hound the size of a rhino with glowing red eyes. And riding on the big hound was humanoid female with a shield and spear. But instead of legs, the woman had what looked like twin serpent trunks.

There were screams of terror and flashes of light as the teachers fired various spells at the monsters threatening their students, but the snake like woman blocked most of them with her shield. Unfortunately for her, by raising her shield, she lost visual of the boy with the sword. Harry watched as the boy darted forward, sword slicing the belly of the oversized dog.

Instead of blood though, the monster hound seemed to dissolve into shadow or dark smoke that was drawn into the hellish black blade.

Time seemed to slow down as the snake woman fell towards the table. Harry saw the terrified faces of the first years, the shocked faces of the professors who all had their wands out, people pushing themselves away from the table, the murderous look on the snake woman, the calculating look in the eyes of the strange teenager.

The black-haired boy met Harry's gaze for the fraction of a second and Harry felt shivers running down his spine. Those eyes seemed to look into his very soul, but unlike Dumbledore's piercing gaze, those eyes seemed to ignite some of Harry's deepest fears. Fears that soon were replaced by shock as black fire sprang to life in the teenager's right hand.

Harry heard shocked gasps around him and he noticed how some of the teachers tensed up upon seeing the boy conjuring up black flames without using a wand. No doubt those blazes were powerful and not to be taken lightly. It was only reinforced when the snake-like woman turned and attempted to flee.

Attempted being the keyword. She got a few metres towards the doors before she made the mistake of turning her head back to look at the black-haired youth. Her reward: A fireball of black flames right in the face.

For almost thirty seconds, the Great Hall was filled with the screams of the dying monster. Then, all went silent and all that was left of the snake-like woman was a puddle of green and black liquid on the floor. A stunned and horrified silence settled as students and teachers of Hogwarts all turned their gazes at the boy who stood on Gryffindor table that somehow had survived the snake monster crashing onto it.

Some eyes were looking at the boy with awe, others with fear and horror, some with shock and some with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Then, the boy youth let out a pained gasp and he tilted to the side, landing right on top of Hermione. He was unconscious before his feet left the table.

00000

Percy stared in growing anxiety as he took in the sight of Cabin Thirteen, Hades' Cabin. The Cabin had been a proud, yet ominous part of Camp Half-Blood since they defeated Kronos. Now it lay in ruins, smoke rising towards the sky. Percy had no idea when, but the campers had tried putting out the fire for hours. A task not made easier by the Greek fire from the cabin's torches. One thing was certain though: The Hades Cabin had been attacked.

The walls that still stood bore marks after bombs and Greek fire and the skull that once hung over door had been smashed to pieces. But Percy had no idea who would attack the Hades Cabin. Or rather, he had some ideas, but none of them seemed likely. The Titans had kept a low profile since Kronos' defeat and monsters couldn't get access to Camp unless someone allowed them to or summoned them inside the barrier.

Why someone would attack Nico was a mystery as well. He had played a vital part in the war against Kronos, but that didn't get them anywhere as the Titans and their servants had kept low since then.

Beating Clarisse in single combat hardly warranted such a brutal attack. Clarisse's ego might have gotten quite a bruise in the process, but she was not stupid. Besides, seeing how it was her who had challenged Nico, she had no right to have bitter feelings.

Thalia had been equally pissed when Nico's schemes and tricks caused the Hunters to lose in Capture the Flag. It had been almost too easy. Percy was to create distraction along with the other campers and Nico was to either Shadow Travel to the Hunters' banner or sneak around the main fighting. The campers called it a strategy worthy of Athena's children. Nico had blushed at the praise, but he said it wasn't anything special. He figured the Hunters would worry about Percy the most because of his Achilles Curse, causing them to focus most of their strength on stopping him. Surely they would expect him to rush in head-on. Nico had simply given them what they expected the campers to do.

Percy had not been amused, despite their victory. Having arrows flying at you and getting zapped by Thalia Grace was only funny for a certain amount of time. He was running out of t-shirts without holes damnit!

The only reason for an attack Percy could see was fear. Fear of Nico's powers. Since the war, Nico's powers had increased at an almost alarming rate. Even Chiron had trouble remembering a demigod whose powers increased so dramatically over such a short amount of time. Chiron's theory was that his stay in the Lotus Casino had delayed Nico's natural growth in power and that they were now increasing at an accelerated rate to make up for lost time. And it was possible that Nico would suddenly start aging as well.

They had no proof of Chiron's theory of course, but Percy was getting more and more inclined to believe the theory. Nico had yet to best him in a fight, but if Nico kept improving at the same rate, Percy was sure it would only be a matter of months instead of years before Nico matched him in battle, if not surpassing him.

"Forget about four years, Uncle Hades" Percy mumbled, recalling Hades' claim from the last time he met his uncle. "Talk about months instead."

Percy suddenly paled dramatically and a heavy lump formed in his throat. His uncle Hades…One of the Big Three, Lord of the Underworld, God of the Dead... once word of this reached Hades, his fury was sure to be terrible. Hades was not exactly known for being a merciful god. If the culprit wasn't found, the son of Poseidon didn't doubt that Hades would declare open season on demigods.

Percy glanced at the torn Camp Half-Blood t-shirt in his hands. He was sure it belonged to whoever attacked Nico. For once it was too big to fit Nico and secondly, there was no way Nico would ever wear orange. He clenched his fists. Whoever attacked Nico was going to pay.

His anger was replaced with anxiety as a camper told him that there was no trace of Nico having been inside the cabin when it was set ablaze. In short, they had no idea if he was dead or alive. Fisting the t-shirt in his hands, Percy let out a barely audible whisper, his anxiety shining through.

"Nico… where are you?"

End chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Suspicion and Agreement.

Harry couldn't remember there being such a buzz in the Gryffindor Common Room. Or rather, he could, but not with him not being involved in some way. The only thing he figured came close was when the Chamber of Secrets was opened in his second year. Once the surprise and shock of the boy's appearance and fight had died down, the Great Hall had been nothing but a pure pandemonium. Some tried to get as close to the boy and the puddle as possible, such as Fred and George, while others had been trying to get as far away as they possibly could.

Harry himself wasn't sure what group he would have followed if he got the choice. One part of him was curious about the boy who could use black fire and manipulate shadows to lift a sword from the floor. The other part of him agreed full heartily with the group of people wanting to get away from the sword fighting teenager. It had been a brief moment, but when the boy's gaze had focused on the wall, something that could only be killing intent and fear had rolled off him in waves, and Harry and those nearby had gotten the full blast of it.

As it was, Harry didn't get to decide whether to approach and scram as he pretty much had been trapped in the middle as the teachers had tried getting through the crowd. Professors Flitwick and Umbridge wasn't heard over the noise and ignored, respectively. Even Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape seemed to have a hard time getting through, though they seemed able to regain some control of the situation. It was only when Dumbledore had sent up several exploding sparks that everyone quieted down and parted to let them through.

Dumbledore had ordered the students to their Houses, a troubled look on his face. It had been a subdued crowd leaving the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron had had to support Hermione the whole way, leaving the responsibility of the First Years to some of the older students, her body trembling between them. A lot of the younger students were shaking; a few of the First Years had even tears running down their cheeks. Some of the older Slytherins had shouted taunts at them, but for once, no dignified them with an answer. But Harry had caught a short glimpse of Draco Malfoy, and though the blond wore a condescending smirk, his face was somewhat paler than usual.

However, that was not the only thing Harry noticed. Nearly Headless Nick, The Fat Friar, The Bloody Baron and a female ghost were having a hushed conversation in a corner, totally ignoring teachers and students alike.

And now Harry sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, listening to snippets of the conversations going on around him.

The whimper from a first year student. "He was so scary. And those monsters!" Harry couldn't blame the kid.

"That sword… as from out of a nightmare." Harry could only nod to that. He had seen that sword up close and almost gotten impaled by it. He was in no hurry to get close to that blade again. Not to mention how it had just sliced through the belly of that beast like a hot knife through butter.

"It was bloody wicked. Did you see those black flames? And how he controlled the shadows to toss him the sword?" Harry frowned. So that is how the sword had flown through the air.

"He can't be a Muggle, can he?"

"Idiot! No Muggle can burst through a shadow like that, much less conjure up dark blazes."

"Speaking of… how did he create those flames? He didn't even use a wand!" Harry's frown deepened. Wandless and nonverbal magic? Maybe a few of the seventh years were so advanced in skill, but no fifth year could do that.

"He looks like a bad boy. Did you see those muscles? And that hair and those eyes? I wouldn't mind…"

"Yeah, I know! He is so hot!"

Harry almost choked. The kid appeared out of nowhere, manipulated the shadows, wielded a lethal looking sword and some girls were talking about how hot he looked? Harry would not deny that the kid had some muscles and he felt a little pang of jealousy because of it, but considering everything else, the newcomer's looks were the least thing of his concerns. He would never understand how some girls' minds worked

Shaking his head, he turned his head to his two friends. Ron was frowning while Hermione was rubbing her arms and rocking from side to side. "Hermione, are you alright?"

She just shook her head. Harry frowned slightly before sighing and taking her into a one-armed hug. He turned to Ron. "A Knut for your thoughts mate."

Ron sighed. "This kid is bad news Harry. Never mind the sword. But the black fire… the Umbrakinesis…" He shuddered. "They are not powers of your average fifteen-year-old."

Harry frowned. "Umbra… what?"

"Umbrakinesis, Harry. It is the ability to control darkness and shadows." Both boys turned to look at Hermione who still had a frightened look on her face, but Harry could feel her heartbeat had calmed and her shakings had subsided. "It is very dark magic. It has been forbidden in Wizarding Europe for the last 500 years or so." She took a shuddering breath. "Not even the Death Eaters dared make use of it."

Harry felt a lump forming in his throat. If Voldemort's servant didn't dare use that kind of magic, it had to be very dangerous. And yet he had just seen a boy, no older than himself, use that kind of power.

"Do you think he is… a Dark Wizard?"

Ron hesitated. But when he spoke, his voice and face was serious. "Either that, or he is a serious messed up kid with access to things he shouldn't have access to."

The three friends looked at each other and reached a silent agreement. No matter what happened, they would keep an eye on the newcomer.

00000

Nico groaned. His head was throbbing like Hephaestus had moved his main forge into his brain and he felt like he used to when he saved Percy from his father's prison. As he opened his eyes, everything was blurry. Blinking a couple of times, his vision cleared a little, but he could only decipher that he was in a large room, lying on a soft bed. A slight frown formed on his brow.

'This is not the Infirmary in the Big House. None of their beds are this soft and… what is that noise?'

Closing his eyes as he felt his vision started swimming again, he strained his ears to locate the source of the humming sound. It sounded like a bird singing, but it was unlike any bird song Nico had ever heard before. However, as he listened to the song, he felt himself calming down considerably. Even better, his headache was lessening and he felt just a spark of his energy returning. Opening his eyes again, he turned his head to the right. As he expected, his gaze fell on a bird, perching on the backrest of a chair.

But it was a bird unlike anyone he had ever seen before. It was roughly the size of a swan with a red and yellow plumage and with golden tail feathers as long as the ones on a peacock. Its beak and talons were gleaming gold, and the son of Hades could see unnatural intelligence shining in its black eyes. Sitting up so he was leaning against the headboard, Nico continued meeting the gaze of the bird, wondering why it hadn't flown away from him like other animals did. It didn't take him long to figure out why: The bird wasn't afraid of him, and thus, not afraid of death. Which could only mean that this bird was a…

"You are a phoenix."

Fawkes let out a happy warble and flew from the backrest to Nico's lap, making himself comfortable as he gave the baffled son of Hades an expectant look. Nico, quite bewildered, soon overcame his shock and gave the bird a mild nudge

"Go away, phoenix." Fawkes just kept staring, digging his talons into the duvet covering Nico's legs. Nico gave the phoenix another, more insistent shove. "Go, phoenix. You and I don't make mix well together." Fawkes just dug his claws deeper, refusing to budge. Nico let out a frustrated sound. "Look, either you move or I will have to force you."

Fawkes just kept looking at him, but Nico could swear it cocked an eyebrow as if saying 'I would like to see you try.'

Growling in his throat, Nico pushed. Fawkes in turn tightened his grip to the point his talons was digging into Nico's thighs. After almost one minute of this, and realizing the phoenix hadn't budged an inch, the son of Hades dropped his arms. Glaring at the bird that was looking innocently up at him and loosening its hold on his thighs, Nico couldn't help but give air to his frustration.

"Why you… you blasted overgrown chicken! Just go away already! Leave me alone!"

A low chuckle sounded from some point on his right. "I remember having the same sentiment when I first met Fawkes. But I dare say I have never had a more faithful friend. And as I'm sure you have figured out by now, he can be quite persistent and doesn't take no for an answer. Though, it is quite remarkable that he has bonded with you so fast. He came here the moment you was brought up and has refused to leave your side ever since."

Nico turned his head faster than he thought was healthy. There, less than five metres from him stood an old man with some of the weirdest set of clothes Nico had ever seen. And considering some of the people, gods and monsters Nico had met, that was saying a lot.

The old man was tall and thin and silver hair and beard so long it reached his waist. Combine the colour of his hair and beard with the dark-purple robes littered with silver stars, and Nico was sure some of Aphrodite's daughters would have had a heart attack. His nose was long and crooked as if it had been broken a few times, and a couple of half-moon spectacles covered some of the most piercing blue eyes Nico had ever come across.

The son of Hades kept an eye on the old man as he slowly walked closer before carefully sitting down on the chair Fawkes occupied a few moments before. He let out a low groan. "These chairs were not designed for old people with tired muscles and bones."

Nico narrowed his eyes at the old man. Despite the man's age and complains Nico was not fooled. The man might be old, but Nico could feel power within the man like one of the Apollo cabin's subwoofers or whatever they called it.

"You can drop the act, old man. You are not nearly as fragile as you claim."

Dumbledore smiled, eyes twinkling. He hadn't put effort into the acting, but deceiving the boy wasn't the main objective. He took out his wand and turned the hospital chair into a comfortable armchair "Ah, much better. I hope you can forgive an old man for indulging in youth's mischief. I'm sure you have tried acting older than you really are, have you not?" A raised eyebrow and silent look was all Dumbledore got in return. Dumbledore just continued smiling. "My dear boy, I'm not going to hurt you. But I would very much like to know the name of the boy who managed to cause such a grand entrance with such unique abilities."

Nico frowned. The old man didn't seem to be lying, but his experience with Geryon had taught him never to lower his guard. "My mother once told me never to talk to strangers. And since I don't know your name, sir, you classify as a stranger. Not to mention, it is bad manners to ask for someone's name without introducing yourself."

Nico knew he was being rude, but the old geezer in front of him only chuckled as he replied. "Ah yes, I'm afraid I got a little ahead of myself. My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Most of my colleagues and friends call me Albus, but my students call me Professor Dumbledore."

Nico stared. That was an awful long name for his ADHD brain to remember, but it didn't sound like a name any monster, Titan or Olympian would use. "Nico di Angelo." He took a quick glance at his surroundings, the phoenix sitting in his lap before looking at Dumbledore again. "Mr Dumbledore, where am I?"

The Headmaster smiled. "You are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But dear boy, please don't call me Mr Dumbledore. Makes me feel old."

Nico stared. In his mind, he was very tempted to say that it was a little too late to feel old, but he held his tongue. He had never heard of any place called Hogwarts before. What kind of name for a school was that any way? Sounded like one of Apollo's made up words when he tried getting his haiku to rhyme or make sense. Deciding not to focus on that for now, Nico turned his gaze to the smiling old man. "And Hogwarts would be… where? Florida, Portland?"

Dumbledore shook his head, though smiling sadly. "My boy, you seem to be far from home. Hogwarts is in England. Scotland, to be more precise."

Nico felt like the air had been knocked out of him. Scotland? He hadn't meant to travel that far. He had only meant to travel to Cabin Number 3 and wake up Percy. So why… his eyes widened as he realized why he had ended up here when he didn't mean to: The hellhound. The moment he had Shadow Travelled, the hellhound had taken up pursuit. They had boosted each other's powers to travel, but had by doing so weakened their control over their destination, causing them to end up here. Nico mentally swore as glimpses of the last 24 hours came back to him.

Usual Camp activities, beating the Hunters in Capture the Flag, the celebrating afterwards. The next thing he remembers was waking up to see two campers glaring down at him through masks, swords raised for strike. Defending had been easy. Come on, challenging the son of Hades in his own cabin? One would have to be suicidal as Nico just summoned the shadows to intercept the strikes. But Nico must have been off his game, for before he could subdue them, the campers had started throwing around jars with Greek fire and summoned two hellhounds and one Scythian Dracaena to fight him. He had dispatched the first hellhound easily, but unfortunately, by the time he was about to fight the other monsters, the Greek fire had spread to most of his cabin and he had evacuate. What really irked him was that he had been unable to get as much as a clue to the identity of his attackers as the cowards had fled the scene once they had summoned the beasts. And seeing how they had worn the orange t-shirts of Camp Half-Blood. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he narrowed his eyes, giving Dumbledore a look that would have sent most Campers.

"Am I a prisoner?"

Dumbledore looked genuinely aghast at the question. "A prisoner? By the heavens, no. My dear boy, you are our guest."

That was not enough to convince Nico though. The wording came way too close to how Geryon convinced him to stay as that damnable farm. "In that case, would you mind giving me my sword?"

Dumbledore frowned. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. However, I cannot let you wear it. Muggle weapons are not allowed on the grounds of Hogwarts. Only knifes used for lessons in Herbology and Potions are allowed." His frown deepened and a dark look crossed his face. "Something Professor Umbridge was quick to enforce." He gave a flick with his wand and Nico's sword appeared next to him, hovering in mid-air. Or rather, what was left of it. "It's beyond repair I'm afraid. I advised Professor Umbridge not to tamper with it, but I'm afraid she did not listen. Something that might have been spurred on by the burn she got when she picked it up." He gave Nico a pointed look over his spectacles. "That was some serious fire spell you had put on it, Nico. Almost as serious as the dark fire you conjured in the Great Hall. If I may… who taught you that level of spells?"

The son of Hades barely heard the Headmaster. He was busy staring at what remained of his sword. It had been violently split apart along its length, and Nico could tell from by looking at it that it had been blasted apart, so it wasn't just a matter of forging the two parts back together. That someone had been able to destroy his sword… either this Professor Umbridge harnessed some serious power to do it in one go, or she had done it by repeating the same move. To Nico though, it didn't matter. This Umbridge had made an enemy of Nico by messing up his sword so badly, and Nico would get revenge.

He sighed as he gently took the sword parts and placed them on his bed, absently stroking Fawkes

"My spells is a family secret, Mr Dumbledore. But I'm sure you have at least heard of my father." He looked at his broken sword again. "This Professor Umbridge you speak of should consider himself or herself lucky. I placed that burning spell on the sword to prevent it from being stolen. It is a rare sword, with unique properties."

Well, the last part was not a lie. He had placed a burning spell on his sword after some of the Hephaestus campers had nicked his sword and tried figuring out its secrets and make copies. The fools had almost died as it sucked out their life-force, before one of their younger siblings had come running to Nico in tears. Chiron had been far from happy. And the family secret part: Not exactly a lie either. It wasn't just the whole truth.

Dumbledore didn't look convinced, but the aged Headmaster didn't push for him to reveal any details about his family. "I see. Mr di Angelo, how good is your control over the shadows? Can you do more than what picking things up from the floor like I saw you did with your sword?"

Nico gave the aged man a calculating look. He didn't seem judgemental, only curious. However, he was not about to reveal his true powers. He slowly stretched out his left hand, doing his best to ignore his throbbing shoulder, pointing it at a nearby hospital bed. Albus watched as the shadows created by the bed slowly rose up, enveloping the bed in a thin layer of black. Then Nico fisted his hand and the bed was reduced to the size of a matchbox, mattress and iron mashed together by the shadows.

Dumbledore nodded and repaired the bed with a simple flick of his wand before looking at Nico, who now small pearls of sweat running down his brow, a serious look on his face. "I once knew a young boy, not unlike you, who could also control the shadows to do his bidding. He was not so advanced in Umbrakinesis as you, probably never will be as I have a feeling you are holding back on me, but he turned out to become one of the greatest Dark Wizards of all time."

Nico clenched his fists. "Are you judging me on my powers, Mr Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, my dear boy, I'm not. But many will. Therefore I must strongly advise you not to display those unique powers of yours too often. Umbrakinesis have been considered dark magic and been forbidden for many years now, and many consider every practitioner of it for evil."

Nico almost snorted. There was no need to tell him not to go flaunting his powers. "Perhaps it is your government that needs to reconsider its definitions and laws then, Mr Dumbledore. Just because something is dark of nature, does not necessary means it is evil. Not if it can be used to do good. Besides, what you consider light or legal can still be used to do evil things."

Albus nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Well said, Nico. I think you should meet a friend of mine, Remus Lupin. He is also wise beyond his years." He let out a sad sigh. "Unfortunately, not many share that perspective. And while not exactly illegal, the use of black fire is frowned upon."

Nico tilted his head. "What are you saying?"

The Headmaster looked Nico directly in the eye. "Professor Umbridge is here on order of the Minister of Magic, the head of our government, and she has reported your appearance to him. I'm afraid Fudge wants you arrested."

Nico narrowed his eyes. "So I'm a prisoner then? Or at least going to be one?"

The Professor shook his head. "Not if I have anything to say about it." Nico raised an eyebrow, silently asking him to continue. "I've granted you immunity, should you decide to stay at Hogwarts as a student. You will of course have to follow curriculum and our rules, but the Ministry cannot arrest you for a year. It is laws so old not even the Ministry can amend them. And should it come to me being replaced as Headmaster, my successor cannot lift it. It will only be the school year though."

Nico pondered that a moment. Spend a year with something close to diplomatic immunity for a year or till he decided to go back to Camp Half-Blood, assuming of course that he could Shadow Travel away from here, or spend the time recovering and then be hunted by these people's law enforcement. He briefly considered turning down the offer and then IM'ing Camp, but that idea went down the drain when he remembered he didn't have any drachma on his person. And seeing how he had travelled across the Atlantic Ocean, should he appear at Camp, he would be greatly weakened. And seeing how he had been attacked inside Camp, Nico was in no hurry to retreat. Clearly he was only wanted when they needed him to save their sorry behinds. In that case, the only reason Nico saw for returning was to find the cowards who attacked him and give them a one-way ticket to meet his father. And Nico didn't see anything wrong with staying and possible learning new tricks to make life difficult for those creeps. In short:

"I accept your offer, Professor Dumbledore. I would like to attend this school for a year."

Dumbledore beamed. "Excellent. Tomorrow you will Sorted into one of the Houses and I will have one of the teachers or some of the upper-years take you to Diagon Alley and help you purchase your supplies. You must be, fifteen?" Nico nodded. "Very well. You will be in Fifth year with young people your age, and I will sign a form so you can visit Hogsmeade, a nearby village, in the weekends. I would normally not be able to do that, but seeing how I'm the one granting you immunity, I counts as your guardian. Do you have any questions?"

Nico was brimming with questions. What was being Sorted, where was Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. And he seriously needed to get into some of the laws and legislations of this place. However, to be able to do the latter, he needed to read; and he was dyslexic and he really doubted they had books in Ancient Greek here.

"Sir, one problem: I'm dyslexic and have ADHD."

Nico saw no problems in revealing that part. It would be clear the moment he started studying anyway. Dumbledore, however, just smiled. "Not to worry dear boy. Every year we got someone with dyslexia or ADHD. I will inform your Head of House once you have been Sorted and have him or her assign you a tutor." Dumbledore stood. "It's getting late. You should get some sleep. Would you like a Lemon Drop?"

Nico raised an eyebrow at the old Professor, but when Dumbledore popped one into his own mouth, the son of Hades hesitantly took one for himself. It was quite good if he had to say so himself.

Dumbledore smiled. It was not often people accepted when he offered a Sherbet Lemon or as in the US, Lemon Drop. "Goodnight Mr di Angelo."

Nico nodded. "Goodnight to you as well, Professor Dumbledore."

With that the Headmaster of Hogwarts left with Fawkes flying beside him, vowing to himself that he would keep a very close eye on Nico di Angelo. It was clear to Dumbledore that Nico was far more gifted in Umbrakinesis than he let on, and that he had many other hidden talents. Then again, Albus himself hadn't exactly been completely honest with Nico. He had withheld plenty of information from him as well.

However, he the Headmaster of Hogwarts couldn't deny that Nico worried him. The young man was like Voldemort in many ways when he was younger that it was uncanny: Talented, but extremely secretive. And from the looks of it, Nico had a hidden layer of coldness, cruelty and cunning as well. But Dumbledore had also seen something in Nico's eyes that he never saw in the eyes of Tom Marvolo Riddle: A longing to be accepted and have friends. And that, Dumbledore mused, would be the deciding factor in the ways Nico would achieve greatness with his powers.

One thing was sure though: Dumbledore would do everything in his power to protect Nico from Lord Voldemort's influence. And if he had to be honest with himself, he was looking forward to the challenge of solving the mystery that was Nico di Angelo.

"Fawkes, old friend: I think this will be a most interesting year."

Fawkes chirped his agreement, looking back at the doors to the Hospital Wing with longing. He already missed his new friend.

Nico, meanwhile, was busy staring at his sword. As he feared, it would be impossible to mend it back to the way it used to be. He could almost feel the foreign magic from the blasts, keeping the pieces apart. He was, however, not about to throw out the pieces. Having to defend himself with his powers alone would be too taxing in the long run, and he would not rely on whatever they taught here should he meet a monster. Nor was he about to let it lie about: One fool might just make the same mistakes those children of Hephaestus did. He did not need a repeat of that fiasco.

'How to deal with this? Can't let them be lying about, can't hide it.' He frowned as he turned the two handles in his hands. 'Or can I?'

He had been working on ways to effectively conceal his sword and in the end he had come up with a way that not concealed it, but also made sure he never would have to worry about dropping it. He just hoped that it still worked now that it had been destroyed.

"_Deceive._"

Had anyone seen or heard him, Nico figured he would have freaked them out. The two pieces he was holding turned into shadows and moved into his palms where they 'burned' themselves into his skin, forming two small snakes. Then they turned solid again, making it look like he had two small tattoos. But that was not the only reason why he would have freaked people out. He hadn't spoken in English or Ancient Greek. It had been hissing sound, like that of a snake.

That taken care of, Nico gently lowered himself till his head hit the pillows, not even caring that they were white, and it wasn't long before he fell asleep.

End chapter 2.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Of Sorting, Quests and Wands.

It was dinnertime, Saturday 2nd September, and all students and staff of Hogwarts was gathered in the Great Hall, the Sorting Hat resting on a chair before the entire student body. And by the chair stood the strange boy who interrupted the feast last night, giving all the students a look of indifference, save for few who made eye contact with him. Those who did were met with a piercing stare that seemed to bore itself into their souls, making them break contact first.

Harry tilted his slightly as he took in the boy's appearance. He wore the standard black cloak and could have passed for an average student if not for the silver skull ring glinting on his right hand and his left shoulder in a cast.

Dumbledore stood, a smile on his face, causing silence to settle. "Dear students. Like some of you may have noticed, we have a new face among us today." Harry had to suppress a snort. Like anyone could miss that entrance. "Due to some extraordinary circumstances, this fine young man here have ended up here, and he will be here with us till we have found to establish contact with his school or discovered a way to send him home. He will be joining the Fifth years and is in the need of a tutor. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present, Nico di Angelo."

Harry took a quick look around the room while he clapped for Nico. Most of students seemed, excited, curious or freaked out. Evidently they hadn't forgotten Nico's entrance the previous evening. Looking at the staff table, Harry saw that teachers seemed to have very different opinions on that matter. Sprout's face spoke of sympathy, Flitwick looked curious, McGonagall seemed doubtful, but if it was in regards to Dumbledore's decision or Nico's skill, Harry couldn't say. Snape looked indifferent, but Harry could recognize the narrowing of those dark eyes anywhere; he was suspicious of Nico.

There were also some, like Professor Grubbly-Plank, who seemed to disapprove of the skull ring, while Umbridge looked like someone had shoved something sour down her throat. Albus, however, was beaming as he walked around the staff table and lifted the Sorting Hat with flourish.

"And now, Mr di Angelo, the Sorting Hat will decide which House you will join while here at Hogwarts. Please, take a seat."

Nico resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Talk about being dramatic. Before coming down to the Great Hall, he had a quick meeting with Professor Dumbledore where they discussed an eventual background story. Both had voted against mentioning any wizardry school in the states as some students might start digging investigating. They had agreed that if Nico saw fit, he could come up with a story and Dumbledore would support it. But they had also agreed that if anyone asked to what school he came from, Nico was to say that he couldn't tell them because that was against the rules of his school.

To Nico, that was perfect, as it meant he wouldn't have to answer quite as many questions as he might have had to otherwise. But how a hat could decide anything, was simply beyond Nico. Shaking his head slightly, and sparing the student body and teachers a glance, Nico sat down on the chair and seconds later, felt the Sorting Hat being placed on his head.

"_Well, well, well, what do we have here? You are no wizard, Mr di Angelo."_

Nico almost jumped ten feet into air. 'What the…'

"_Oh? Albus didn't tell you I would speak to you in your mind? Can't say I'm surprised. Don't worry my young friend; the others can't hear what we are talking about, so whatever cover you have or will think up will not be in jeopardy. This conversation will remain confidential unless you reveal it."_

Nico breathed a sigh of relief, though he felt slightly angry at the old Headmaster for not revealing that the little detail about the Sorting. 'A hat that looks into people's mind huh? That is a new one.'

The Sorting Hat agreed with a small chuckle. _"I agree, my young friend. I will eat myself if you find a hat like me in your everyday shop. But _enough_ about me. Let's take a closer look at you, shall we?"_ Before Nico could protest, he felt the Sorting Hat prod deeper into his mind. He just got his mental barriers in place when the Sorting Hat let out a small shout of surprise and excitement.

"_Well, well, well! Now this is definitely a surprise! A demigod at Hogwarts! I haven't seen a demigod in these halls since the foundation. And not just any demigod either. A son of one of the Big Three… a son of Hades no less. Now that is very rare indeed. And the extent of your inherited powers… necromancy and Umbrakinesis… impressive indeed." _

Nico almost tore off the hat speaking in his mind. The Hat knew much. Too much. And he couldn't help but feel angry at the Sorting Hat. 'Do not dare judge me on who my father is and my powers, Hat. I'm what I'm and I intend to use my powers if necessary. But make no mistake, annoy me and you will see what I'm capable of.'

The Sorting Hat merely chuckled at Nico's implied threat. _"Just like your brother I see. I think the two of us should have a game of chess someday, Nico. Your powers do not scare me nearly as much as your cunning does. So please, Nico di Angelo, do your worst." _

Nico grit his teeth. Now he was arguing with a hat and being challenged to play chess against it? Percy would be laughing his ass off should he ever hear of this. Nico was already planning his move against the hat behind mental shields, but he was curious.

'You said you haven't seen a demigod here since the founding of this castle and you keep talking about my brother. I was not aware I ever had a brother that far back.'

The Sorting smiled in his head. _"Oh yes. Hogwarts was founded by the four best wizards of witches of that age. But those four were also demigods. Godric Gryffindor, son of Poseidon. Rowena Ravenclaw, daughter of Athena. Helga Hufflepuff, the only daughter to date of the goddess Hestia. And finally there was Salazar Slytherin, son of Hades. There were students that were sons and daughters of the minor gods and goddesses and younger Olympians as well, but I haven't sat on the head of a true demigod since then. There have been plenty of descendants of demigods walking these halls down the ages. The last one was about 60 years or so ago. He was a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin. I suppose you could call him a great-nephew… with several greats in between. But I've feeling you will learn more about him soon enough."_

Nico frowned at the Hat. He was curious about this distant relative the Hat spoke of, but he was even more curious about one thing. 'How did the other gods and goddesses react to this school? And are the Headmaster and other teachers aware of the existence of gods and demigods?'

The Sorting Hat chuckled, though it held some sadness in it. _"To answer your seconds question first: The teachers, or Professors as we call them here, are not aware of the existence of the gods and demigods, save for the current Headmaster. It's my duty to inform the Headmaster of the continued existence of the gods and their children, but I'm under no obligation to inform him or her when a demigod enters these halls, nor am I obliged to reveal the identity of said Half-blood."_ The Sorting let out a dry chuckle in Nico's mind. _"As to how the other gods reacted: Most didn't care. But Zeus was furious. I think he was miffed that one of his own children of that time didn't get the idea. Not to mention that the inhabitants of Hogwarts did not honour the gods. In order to appease him and stop him from destroying the school, the four parents agreed to have no further contact with those children. Moreover, Hades and Poseidon had to agree to not having any more mortal children for three centuries. Poseidon kept his pact for roughly two hundred years I think, but then he fell off the wagon. Furious, Zeus attempted to destroy Hogwarts. He would have succeeded, had it not been for Hades raising the earth to shield the building and its people with Poseidon cooling down the area afterwards. The three gods' power clashing resulted in the mountains and lakes surrounding. It almost came to full-fledged war between them. In order avoid a possible war, the three brothers came to an agreement with Athena as a mediator." _

Nico suppressed a mental snort. Why wasn't he surprised? Though he had to admit, for his father and his uncle Poseidon to unite against Zeus… that was not something seen very often. 'And what did they agree on? Seeing how the castle still stands, I take it my uncle did not get to destroy it.'

The Sorting Hat laughed. _"No, he did not. As Poseidon had broken the pact, he got what remained of Hades' years added to his own while Hades no longer had to refrain from siring more demigod children. But as Zeus had acted without regard to the fact that Hades hadn't broken his part of the bargain, he did not go free. He was not to have demigod children for the next century. Furthermore, the three brothers agreed on a compromise of sorts."_

Nico raised an eyebrow at the Sorting Hat. 'Which would be?'

"_Seeing how the three brothers' powers had collided here, they agreed to make it neutral ground. Hogwarts was to be a place where their children could compete and fight each other without having to fear for the revenge of their respective uncles. They were even to be allowed to explore the different domains without worrying about their safety. In short, if you someday fancy a swim in the lake or a flight on a broom, feel free. Oh, and we still don't honour the gods, so you don't have to worry about offering your food."_

Nico's head was swimming with information, no pun intended. But before he could question the Sorting Hat any further, it forged onward.

"_Ah, but I'm getting side-tracked. You have been sitting on this chair for several minutes by now, and I think the other students and the teachers are starting to wonder what is taking me so long. Let me take a closer look into your memories, shall we?"_

Nico was about to protest, but when he felt the Sorting Hat prodding into his memories again. Blocking off the images of the Underworld, Nico could only watch his memories and listen to the Sorting Hat's commentary. First was images of Nico trying to make friends and harness his powers.

"_You are definitely hard-working. And you seem fairly impartial in your judgement of others perhaps Hufflepuff is the House for you?" _Then came some memories of Nico kicking different male demigods, probably sons of Ares, in the groin during several Capture the Flag games. _"But not exactly a supporter of fair game I see. And you are not the most loyal of persons. You trust very few persons, but you do not easily forgive, not even those you consider closest to you. No, Hufflepuff is not the House for you."_

Then came Nico's investigation of Luke's past and family, his developing of new tricks… some yet to be seen by Camp-Halfblood and Chiron, his decision to let Bianca stay in the Underworld and his sharp mind when it came to tactics on the battlefield _"You are definitely intelligent and wise enough for Ravenclaw, son of Hades. However, you do not seek knowledge and wisdom just for the sake of it or be better academically. No, you seek knowledge to aid your allies the best you can and to improve yourself so you can protect your precious people. Though your rivalry with your friend, Percy Jackson, seems to be a factor as well."_

Nico was getting more and more uncomfortable. Having a hat reading your memories was disturbing to say the least. But before he could kick out the Sorting Hat, it continued.

"_Cunning… resourceful… headstrong… a certain disregard for rules. There is ambition and an strive to prove yourself to others… yes, your brother's House would welcome you with open arms. But wait, what is this?"_ Nico briefly wondered what could have made the damnable Hat stop like that. His musing was cut to stop, however, when the Sorting Hat let out a laugh. _"By the gods, boy! You have some guts! To spring your friend right under your father's nose! And after you more or less tricked said friend to come to the Underworld. It is most surprising you still draw breath. Plenty of courage, but not always the most chivalrous. Hmmm… been a long time since I've had this sort of challenge."_

Nico winced. He had hoped that little mistake wouldn't be brought up. Seen in hindsight, he should have known better than trust his father to just let Percy go after that less than successful chat. But at the time, it had seemed like the only choice.

'Look Hat, I have done a lot of things. Some of them I'm proud of… and some of them I wish I could take back and change, but I cannot.'

The Sorting Hat was silent for a long time. Then... _"Interesting. You feel genuine remorse for your past mistakes, even if they helped your own goals. But even more interesting than that: Your worst fear is your power. That is interesting indeed." _

Nico was losing his patience and he could feel himself getting angry. Now the Hat was seeking out his worst fear? The Hat was going to pay. 'Listen Hat, are you done blabbering now and snooping around in matters that does not concern you? My patience is wearing thin. What House, as you call, is going to be?'

It would seem though, that the Sorting Hat did not take Nico's warning seriously. _"You have already made that decision for yourself, boy. It takes a great deal of courage to face your enemies, young demigod. It takes an equal amount of bravery to stand up to your friends. But it must take an unfathomable amount of courage to live with and face down your worst fear every single day. Before I announce it though, I would like to know what little surprise you have been hiding from my sharp gaze for so long."_

Nico's lips curled upwards in a smirk. 'Very well, Hat. I will reveal my little surprise to you.'

Then he dropped some of his barriers, showing the Sorting Hat the horrors of the Fields of Punishment. There was a moment of silence, then…

"Nico di Angelo belongs, without a doubt… in GRYFFINDOR!"

But before it was lifted off Nico's head, the Sorting Hat spoke to Nico. _"Good one, son of Hades. I had almost forgotten about the Fields of Punishment from the time I was placed on Salazar's head. Though, you will have to do better than that to truly scare me. But mark my words; you would have done great in Slytherin. I will follow your stay here with great interest, Ghost King."_

Before Nico could come up with retort, Professor Dumbledore lifted the Hat from his head. The old man smiled as a hesitant applause broke out. "Now that you have been Sorted, Mr di Angelo, you are officially a student of Hogwarts. Please, take a seat with your peers." He gestured at the Gryffindor table. "I will come and discuss the details with you after dinner."

Nico nodded and strolled down the floor towards the table the old man had pointed at, ignoring the murmurs and stares following him. Spotting a gathering of kids that looked around his own age, he walked towards them.

One was a girl with bushy brown hair and brown eyes. Opposite was a boy with red hair, lots of freckles, a slightly long nose and blue eyes. Even when sitting down, Nico could tell the redhead was quite tall for his age. A quick scan of the rest of the Gryffindor table showed three people with red hair and freckles as well; siblings, no doubt. Nico frowned slightly as he took in the appearance of the boy sitting next to the tall redhead.

The boy had untidy jet black hair and green eyes that reminded Nico quite a lot of Percy. He had thin face and wore round-rimmed glasses and on his forehead was a lightning bolt shaped scar. But that was not the reason Nico was frowning. Something seemed strange about the spectacled boy. Nico could sense it. If he was to put words to it, he would say the boy had two souls living in the same body. Then he shrugged it off as tiredness or this place messing with him… again. And even if it wasn't, the boy's business was his own. Forcing a smile on his face, Nico addressed the trio.

"Mind if I sit down? I'm kinda hungry."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at other for the fraction of second before nodding. Hermione moved a little so she was sitting more in front of Ron, leaving an open seat for Nico. The son of Hades smiled. "Thanks."

Hermione looked her two friends. Ron was putting food on his plate, but he seemed to be keeping an eye on Nico. Harry was pretty much following their redheaded friend's example, though he was paying more attention to Nico than what he putting on his plate. It seemed it was up to her to get a conversation going.

"So Nico… welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Hermione Granger. And these are my friends."

Ron looked over and spoke, mouth full of food. "On Weevil." Nico raised an eyebrow, hiding his disgust behind what resembled a mix of a friendly smile and a smirk. Ron swallowed his food. "Sorry about that. Ron Weasley."

Nico nodded, taking notice of the disapproving glare Hermione directed at Ron. "Nico di Angelo. But you know that already." Then he looked at Harry, who moving to take a bite of a pancake. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

Many things happened at once. Harry halted his fork ascend to his mouth, Hermione let out a small shriek as Ron sprayed her with food and there were several gasps and coughs around him. Raising his eyebrows, Nico looked around at the people staring at him.

"Did I say something wrong?"

The silence lasted for a few more seconds before a redheaded girl spoke up. "You… you… you don't know who is?"

Nico refrained from rolling his eyes, but he couldn't just an ounce of sarcasm from sneaking in. "If I knew who he was, I wouldn't ask, would I?"

Ginny gaped at him, clearly taken aback by his rudeness. It lasted only for a few seconds. "But… he is the Harry Potter! He defeated You-Know-Who!" Then she remembered what he had said. "And you are kinda of a jerk, you know that?"

This time, Nico did smirk. "So I've been told a few times. And no, I don't know who he defeated."

Ron, coming out of his stupor, looked at Nico. "Come on mate… this is not funny anymore. Everyone knows who You-Know-Who is. And don't talk that way to my sister."

Nico gave Ron a look of annoyance, barely registering that Ron confirmed his suspicion about the redheaded girl being a sibling. "I don't know who this You-Know-Who is. If I did, I wouldn't have said that don't know who he defeated." He looked at Ginny. "My apologies miss. I'm still a bit groggy after last night. Not to mention, my shoulder hurts like hell."

Ginny gave him a look, then nodded. "Apology accepted." Then a look of concern came over her face. "Your shoulder hurts? Maybe you should let Madam Pomfrey have a look at it."

Nico nodded. "I think I will." He didn't think it was worth mentioning that he wasn't really sorry for being rude. Then a voice came from further down the table.

"How can you not know who You-Know-Who is? Or who Harry Potter is after everything the Daily Prophet have been writing this summer? That he claims You-Know-Who is back just to get attention?"

This time, Nico did roll his eyes. He briefly wondered if he could be resorted, for this House seemed to be filled with people that had seaweed for brains. Looking down the table, he met the gaze of a boy around his age with sandy coloured hair.

"I'm not from around here, I just got here yesterday; how am I supposed to have read a newspaper all summer? And even if I had, I know one thing: You shouldn't be so quick to believe everything you hear or read. Think for yourself. What I find really funny is that while you lot have been busy spewing absolute nonsense, Harry has been silent about who is. Doesn't seem like one who seeks attention to me." Nico turned his gaze to Harry and looked him in the eye and held out his hand. "Nico di Angelo. And you are?"

Harry looked at Nico before shaking the other boy's hand. It was cold as ice, but Harry ignored it. "Harry Potter, your average student of Hogwarts." He didn't trust Nico, but being friends with him might make him reveal more than being his enemy. Then he grinned. "So, Nico, where are you from?"

Nico grinned, after giving a few students a look that told them to mind their own business. "New York."

Hermione lit up. "New York? Wait, the city or the state?"

Nico grinned. So they were trying to figure out where he came from already? Well, this ought to be fun. "Both. But I'm very often on the move. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Dallas, Denver. I think I spent more time on the move than I do in school."

Hermione frowned. "What do your parents say to that? They just allow it?"

Nico's face darkened and Harry realized they were threading dangerous waters before Nico even spoke. "My mother is dead. And seeing how I mostly run the errands for my father, I doubt he has a problem with it."

Harry decided now was a good time to change the subject. "So… do they teach that shadow stuff at your school?"

Ron added. "It was cool by the way. Any way you can teach us how to do that?"

Nico shook his head no, not missing the glance both Harry and Hermione gave Ron. "My powers… they are inherited. They run in my blood."

Ron's face fell. "Oh bugger. Could have been fun to use them on Malfoy."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So… where in New York is your school? What is its name?"

Nico had trouble keeping up, and he had feeling Hermione would have asked more questions had Dumbledore not come down to their place. "Ah, Mr di Angelo, I see you have already met some of your classmates. Have you been introduced to each other?"

Nico nodded. "Yes sir."

The old Headmaster beamed. "Excellent. Well, you will be pleased to hear that I've arranged for you and a guide to visit Diagon Alley and buy your school supplies." He held up his hand to silence Nico. "Don't worry about money. Hogwarts has a fund for those without an account in Gringotts Wizarding Bank. We also have to get you a tutor. Perhaps one of…"

"I will do it!" Hermione blushed when several heads turned to her. "Eh, I mean… I would like to be Nico's tutor, sir."

Professor Dumbledore beamed. "Excellent. Miss Granger, if you will speak to Professor McGonagall, she will help you with the study schedule. If that is okay with you, Mr di Angelo?"

Nico nodded absentmindedly, a thought occurring to him. "Sir, how can I study when I'm dyslexic?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Ah yes. I had almost forgotten about that. Here, hopefully these will help you." He handed Nico a couple of reading glasses. "Now, who will be your guide in Diagon Alley? Ah, Harry, what about you?"

Harry didn't really want to do the Headmaster a favour after being ignored the entire summer, but he grudgingly admitted that he somewhat owed it to him after the trial. Besides, it could prove to be a good possibility to gain a little more info on Nico di Angelo.

"Sure Professor? Will we take the Floo or a Portkey?" He paled slightly. "Or perhaps the Knight Bus?"

Dumbledore shook his head, still not looking at Harry. "No, none of those. It might attract unwanted attention if you have to wait to get back by either Floo or the Bus. And a Portkey has, under most circumstances, to be approved by the Ministry."

"Then how…" Harry was cut off by a grunt coming from Nico. Looking back at him, he did a double take. "Fawkes?"

Nico groaned again, recovering from the impact of the phoenix's landing. "You again?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Fawkes was quite persistent about being your transport."

Fawkes chirped happily, ignoring Nico's scowl.

00000

Percy stared, not believing his ears. "Chiron, you can't be serious."

All of the Cabin counsellors, Thalia, Mr D Chiron and Rachel were gathered around the ping-pong table in the Rec Room, and the tensions were going high. Chiron sighed.

"Percy, I understand you are you are upset. But we cannot tell…"

Percy banged his fist against the table. "Chiron, it will be much worse if we don't tell."

Leo Valdez stopped tinkering with whatever project he was working on. "I agree with Water Dude there. We better tell, or the Underworld will be hotter than when Death Boy and I duel with fire. Especially if you are a demigod.

Percy nodded, though he wanted to punch Leo for the nickname. "Exactly. Once Hades learns…"

"Learns what, godling?"

The entire room froze at the voice and Percy slowly turned around as a large man with jet black hair and albino skin wearing a black pinstripe suit stepped out of the shadows. His intense black eyes bore into the eyes of every demigod gathered there, making them squirm. Percy was the first to recover.

"Lord and Uncle. What brings you here?"

The Lord of the Underworld strolled forward before he took a seat in chair that formed itself out of shadow, making several counsellors flinch. When he spoke, his voice was jovial.

"Why have I come, nephew? Hmm, let me see. Ah yes, I was wondering why I couldn't get through to my son by Iris-messaging. I have a job for him in San Francisco. I grew worried so I decided to pay a visit to my most beloved son. And did you know what I found?" His voice grew cold, dropping all pretences. "I find my Cabin in ruins, godlings running around with smile on their faces and no signs of my son. Care to explain, demigods? And you better make it quick… I'm not in the best of moods."

Mr D spoke. "Now look here Hades, you can't just come here and…"

He trailed off as Hades turned his piercing gaze at him, giving him a look of loathing. "Can it, wine dude. Go chase some beers or something. I don't care, as long as you get out of my sight." Mr D looked like he wanted to argue, but when the shadows grew thicker in the rec room, he complied. Percy was grateful. Two super powerful gods in the Rec Room at the same time? It was a wonder it didn't blow apart. "I'm still waiting, nephew. Explain now or face my wrath."

Percy gave the other campers a look, seeking back-up, but one look at them told him they expected him to tell the furious god what had happened. Sometimes, being the Camp Leader just outright sucked. Taking a deep breath, he began his report.

"My lord, we do not know who attacked Nico. All we know is that the attack happened a few nights ago and that the attacker was most likely one from this camp as one of the camp's t-shirts was found. The attacker used Greek set the cabin ablaze. Finally, we don't know who the attacker was and… we have no idea where Nico is."

Gods… even to Percy, it sounded like something that would earn you a one-way ticket to Fields of Punishment when presenting it to the Lord of the Underworld. Percy had formulated different ways to bring the news to Hades, even before the little debate, but none of the scenarios he had run in his head included one of the Big Three in the Rec Room, and none of them sounded like that. And if the narrowing of Hades' eyes was anything to go by, he was not impressed by the report.

"In short, you are not any closer at apprehending the one attacking my son than Apollo stopping with those terrible haiku. Nor have you any idea where to look. Tell me, godlings, how can I know that one of you, or all of you, aren't the ones who have attacked my son or are covering over those responsible?"

He didn't give them time to respond as he forged on. "Seeing how demigod attacked my son, I find it more than fair that a demigod will go retrieve him."

He stood and began walking towards the shadows from where he came. All of the half-bloods stood as well, Thalia asking a question that perhaps not was the smartest question to ask.

"How do you know Nico is alive? And where are you going?"

Hades spun on his heels, black fire blazing in his eyes. "Don't you think I would know if my son had entered my land as a spirit, niece? I knew the second Bianca entered, just like I did with every other son or daughter I have ever had. As to where I'm going: I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you. But if you really want to know, I'm going to Olympus. I think I need to have a little chat with my brothers and my other family about this."

Thalia glared, and the air around her crackled with electricity. "Are you accusing my father?"

Percy had to, once again, admire Thalia courage. Hades simply regarded her with coldness. "And why should I not, Thalia Grace? He has tried murdering my children more than times than I can remember. And I cannot ignore that this is the second time a god has made an attempt at killing my youngest son."

Percy frowned. "What makes you think a god is behind this attack? Did you not hear my report?"

The shadows thickened as Hades anger grew. "Do not test me, nephew. As to your second question: You may have the Curse of Achilles upon you, but not even you would try murdering my son unless you were sure some god, your father most likely, got your back. And while both of my brothers are about as subtle as a fire in the dark, even they learn with time. I'm going to Olympus, and I will find out how high this treason goes. Meanwhile, your precious little camp should worry about finding my son before the winter solstice. If Nico is not found by then, there will be a war. And I will have every demigod out there hunted down and killed till my son is found."

He turned around again. Percy wanted to yell at him, but he knew from previous dealing with gods, it rarely worked. "I will find Nico for you, Lord and Uncle. I swear this on the River Styx."

Thunder boomed, but Hades made no move to show he had heard what his nephew had said. He did stop, however, when Annabeth spoke.

"Lord Hades, one more thing: What was Nico to do in San Francisco? Perhaps one of us here could do it?"

The Lord of the Underworld stopped before looking over his shoulder, a smirk on his face. "That, daughter of Athena, is something you can try figuring out with that pretty little head of yours. Let's just say that there is a camp I like to keep an eye on."

With that he vanished. Percy rounded on Chiron. "What camp in San Francisco is Hades talking about?"

Chiron sighed. "That is not important right now. The most important thing right now is finding Nico and if the gods will, apprehending the one, or ones, responsible for this mess. I had hoped that we could buy some time by not letting Hades know right away, but Fates would have it otherwise."

Annabeth stood. "Do not blame yourself Chiron. We both thought it would be best that way."

Percy gave his girlfriend a look that showed how hurt he was, but just then Rachel groaned. "Not again."

Then her eyes glowed green and she sank into her chair. When she spoke, it sounded like there was three of her.

"_**Campers and Hunters to the British school of extraordinary learning must go,**_

_**To find and fight a close friend and terrible foe.**_

_**But searches, of the darkness of forests you must beware,**_

_**Or the Dark Lord and servants of your presence will be aware. **_

_**The Prince of Shadows and Lord of Darkness fight will, **_

_**A battle of necromancers a civil war in the air will chill.**_**"**

Rachel collapsed at the last word. Then she blinked a couple of times. "Okay, one, could someone get me a glass of water? Secondly, what did I say?"

Thalia frowned. "The first line is obvious. The Hunters and some campers must go to Britain to find Nico. The Hunters were going anyway, seeing how Lady Artemis wants to test us against some monster over there… I think they were called Dementoris or something like that. But the rest of the lines…"

Percy frowned as well. "To find and fight a close friend and terrible foe. It sounds like we will find Nico, but we will also find a terrible foe that we will have to fight to get Nico home." He grinned. Sounds simple enough to me. "

"Percy, prophecies are never simple. You know that better than anyone." Annabeth said. She bit her lip. "But searchers, of the darkness of forests beware; or the Dark Lord and servants of your presence will be aware. I don't get it. Will Hades follow us? And the next three lines don't make any sense at all. Will Nico and Hades fight, and what is that about a civil war?"

Percy frowned, deep in thought. Then he shook his head. "I've no idea. We will have to figure that out later. More importantly, who goes and how do we get there?"

Chiron sighed. "There hasn't been a quest outside of the States for centuries. It will take a unique team of heroes."

Annabeth frowned. "Seaweed Brain should go, that much is obvious. If someone more powerful than Nico is holding him captive, it will take one more powerful than Nico to rescue him. Not to mention, Percy is our best fighter." She hurried on, silencing Clarisse as the daughter of Ares started rising from her chair. "No offence Clarisse, but you haven't been able to beat Nico for a year, much less Percy."

The son of Poseidon nodded, though his cheeks got a hint of pink in them. "Annabeth should go as well. This quest requires great intellect and knowledge of culture."

Annabeth blushed as well, and she only got redder when Leo Valdez laughed. "Oh bah, you are just trying to get some alone-time to make out or more."

Percy and Annabeth both grew red in the faces, though it was probably a mix of embarrassment and anger. But then Percy turned the tables. "I think Leo should come as well. I have a feeling we are going to need his skills on this quest. Fire and water… Nico's captives would never know what hit them."

Leo paled a little as he noticed Percy's smirk. "You are just saying that so you can dumb me in the middle of the North Atlantic, aren't you? Then you will return and claim that I died on the quest. But that won't happen with this awesome mechanic, nope, it won't."

Percy shook his head. "Leo, I would never do that to you. I really mean it; we are going to need your skills and that multi-utility dragon of yours on this quest. I would never dumb you in the ocean and then sail away." Then he muttered under his breath. "Though, giving you a keelhauling isn't unlikely."

Chiron nodded his approval. "Annabeth, Percy and Leo. Seems reasonable. Now, when will you…"

"I would like to bring Grover and Tyson along as well. If they accept. We are going to need their skills as well. Tyson is good with mechanics and got fighting power as well; both will prove invaluable, should Leo be taken out. Grover is the best seeker out there. We will need his nose to track down Nico again."

Chiron frowned. "Percy," he cautioned. "Three is a sacred number. Going more than three never bodes well. The quest into the Labyrinth almost cost you your lives."

Unsaid was the quest to save Artemis. Percy sighed. "I know Chiron, but we don't have a choice. We will need those skills. Besides, this prophecy was not given to a single camper in particular. It was given to us here like a group, just like the one Apollo thought might be the next Big Prophecy."

Chiron sighed. "Very well. When will you leave?"

Percy looked at Annabeth and Leo. "Tomorrow at noon. I will contact Tyson. It will take some time for him to get here, and we can use that time to prepare and load Festus. Leo, will you prepare him for a long voyage?" Leo nodded. "Good. Thalia, when will you leave? I'm afraid Festus aren't big enough for all of the Hunters."

Thalia frowned. "I will ask Lady Artemis if she could get Lord Apollo to pick us up when he passes by. The Hunters won't like it, but we don't have a choice. Besides, I've bad feeling about all of this. There are is reason to tempt our fathers more than necessary. Hades is sure to get the anger going high."

Percy nodded. "It's decided then. Chiron?"

Chiron sighed. "I don't like it, Percy. Like Thalia, I've a bad feeling about this. But I will give you my blessing. Dismissed."

The campers, Thalia and Chiron and Rachel left, leaving Leo, Annabeth and Percy behind. Looking at each other, they nodded, reassuring themselves. Together, they would bring Nico back.

Leo smiled awkwardly. "Well, I will go prepare Festus. See you guys later."

They both nodded and Leo left. Annabeth turned to Percy, placing her hand on his overarm as she saw his frown of worry. "Percy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She sighed. "You are a terrible liar, Percy. That is probably the reason you always lose in poker. Now, try again: What is bothering you?"

Percy sighed, both hating and loving how Annabeth could read him so well. "I just have this feeling that something is going to go wrong on this quest. Something always goes wrong when I'm involved. Perhaps I shouldn't go. And what if we are too late to save Nico? I'm worried about him, Annabeth. He is like a little brother to me."

Annabeth sighed. "Percy, quests and prophecies are never easy. Never have been, never will be. And I admit, most of our quests have been close calls, but we are still here. We will pull through this Percy, we always do. And I wouldn't worry about Nico just yet. He is probably one of the toughest and smartest half-bloods I have ever met. He can take care of himself." The corner of her lips turned up a little. "Unlike another son of the Big Three I know."

"Hey!" Percy protested. "I can too take care of myself!" He gave a sheepish smile when Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Not just for very long." He smiled sincerely. "Thanks Wise Girl. I needed that."

She kissed him on the cheeks. "Anytime Seaweed Brain. I will see you later. I will go get Grover."

Percy looked after her she left. Walking out as well, Percy stopped at the deck of Big House, looking out at the camp. Fists clenching at the railing, he spoke more to himself than any other.

"Hang in there Nico. We are coming for you."

0000

Harry glanced at Nico as they made their way to Ollivanders Wand Shop. Getting Nico a wand was the only thing they needed now. Nico hadn't bought anything out of the curriculum, save for one thing: The newest publication on Wizarding laws. When Harry had inquired why he had bought it, he had just responded:

"Understanding the laws and cultures of the land you are visiting are essential if you wish to blend in." Then he continued, with a little smirk on his lips. "Besides, to best your enemies, you need to understand the rules they play or don't play by."

That statement both fascinated, confused and worried Harry. It wasn't a line of thought you average fifteen-years-old would possess. It fascinated Harry, because it made him wonder what kind of Nico had led before coming to Hogwarts. It confused him because he wasn't sure who Nico thought of as an enemy. But why had he agreed to stay then? And that was part of why it worried Harry as well. He hated not knowing Nico's motives. And that line of thought… it was the way a spy would think. But if Nico was a spy, then the question was: Who was he loyal to? It was then Harry realized that Nico might be even more trouble than the Death Eaters. At least he knew their motives. And he also realized that Nico was no novice in the art of deception.

He studied the 'transfer student' as they walked down Diagon Alley. Even with his left arm in a cast, he carried himself in a graceful way and seemed to ignore every stare sent his way.

Harry figured they indeed were a strange trio. One was the Boy-Who-Lived, or Lied as he apparently had been called most of the summer. Then there was the phoenix resting happily on Nico's shoulder, after returning Nico's school supplies and most of his new clothes back to Hogwarts and the reappearing, either being blissfully ignorant of the glares the teenager was sending him or simply just ignoring them all together. And then there was Nico, wearing a black cloak, a silver ring on his finger that resembled and a couple of newly bought combat boots. Yep, they were one strange trio indeed.

Not being able to stand the silence anymore, Harry spoke. "So Nico… where is your sword?"

A dark frown crossed Nico's face and Harry briefly wondered if he should have drawn his wand first.

"It was apparently taken and destroyed by one of the Professors. A Professor Umbridge I think. The remains are in my possession… I will have to find some way to repair it."

The last part seemed to be Nico thinking out loud, but before Harry could inquire further, he realized they were outside Ollivanders. "We are here."

Nico frowned as they entered. This shop didn't look like much. It was very small and from the outside it had looked like it might collapse any time. Looking around, he saw a lot of small boxes stacked neatly on top of each other, a counter and in a corner stood a wobbly chair. He turned to Harry.

"Am I correct to assume that all those boxes contain wands?" Harry nodded, a nostalgic look on his face. "Then where is the shop owner? Or am I just to find a wand and then find the owner?"

"Oh no, dear boy. You will not have to find the wand. The wand chooses the wizard."

Nico turned his head, taking in the appearance of the old, even noticing the paleness of his eyes. The son of Hades narrowed his eyes only slightly. 'This man… he can see through the Mist. Interesting.'

Mr Ollivander seemed to be regarding like he had never seen a fifteen-years-old boy before. Then his face lit up when he saw Harry.

"Mr Potter. What a pleasant surprise. 11 inches long, made of holly and with a phoenix feather core. Nice and supple. I heard from Dumbledore it had an interesting interaction in summer. Tell me, does it still function as it should?"

Harry nodded, though uncomfortable at discussing that topic in front of Nico. The other boy, however, didn't seem to be paying attention. Or perhaps he didn't just care. "Yes sir, thank you." He motioned at Nico. "Mr Ollivander, this is Nico di Angelo. And I'm sure you remember Fawkes."

Ollivander startled and then his gaze zoomed in on the bird resting on Nico's shoulder. If possible, his eyes grew in size. He let out a mutter, and Harry was not sure he heard it right.

"An unlikely duo. I have a feeling the wand for this half-blood will be just as unusual."

But Harry didn't have time to process it, for Mr Ollivander became all business. "Tell me, Mr di Angelo, are you right or left handed?"

Harry thought for sure Nico would explode or strangle the wandmaker in his wrath. But he just answered. "I'm ambidextrous. But for now, let's just say I'm right-handed."

Ollivander nodded and began explain about wand cores as he rummaged riffled through the boxes, while his magical tape measure took Nico's measurements, the boy swatting at it all the way.

"That will do." The tape measure fell to the floor and rolled up itself. Ollivander handed Nico a wand. "Try this. Birch, eight and a half inches, unicorn hair." Nico took it and gave the wandmaker an expectant look. "Well give it a wave."

Nico raised an eyebrow, shrugged and waved the wand. It exploded, leaving a shocked Harry, a frowning wandmaker and slightly curious, startled and annoyed Nico and Fawkes in its wake. Nico unclenched his hand, and a bundle of ashes fell to the floor.

"I take it that wasn't the right one for me?"

Harry had a remark ready on his lips, but Ollivander just shook his head. "Definitely not. I've never had a customer blowing up a wand before, however. Then again, I suppose it was terrible match." He went back to the shelves and found another one. "Try this. Ten inches, oak, phoenix feather."

Nico waved the wand. Result: The windows shattered and Ollivander snatched the wand when it began smoking. "No, definitely not. Here. Holly, ten inches, dragon heartstring."

When Nico waved this wand, half of the boxes on his right shot from their places. Ollivander snatched that wand away as well. And so it continued for what seemed like hours to Harry. The Boy-Who-Lived had taken shelter behind the counter, ready to duck whenever Ollivander found another wand for Nico to try. And just like when Harry himself purchased his wand, the more wands Ollivander had to find, the merrier he seemed to become, no matter what kind of disaster Nico caused. So far, it had been things from a nice breeze to a raging hurricane, from absolutely nothing to diverse object exploding.

But unlike Ollivander who seemed quite excited, despite the fact his shop more and more looked like war zone, and Harry, who remembered feeling quite uncertain at, Nico looked like he was about ready to burn the shop to the ground with his dark fire out of sheer annoyance. Harry knew that they at some point had attracted an audience, but after Nico had released something akin to a thunderstorm, people had probably decided it was too dangerous to stick around.

Three wands later, Nico's patience ran out. "This is pointless. We have been at this for hours. I doubt we are going to find a wand even if we tried for three more hours, the result would still be the same. This is a waste of time. Perhaps I should try somewhere else."

Harry was about to come with a scathing remark, but Ollivander's eyes lit up even more, not at all insulted by Nico's outburst and comment about trying somewhere else.

"Somewhere else... but of course! I old fool, why didn't I think of that myself! Please Mr di Angelo, wait here a moment! I think I know just where to find the wand for you!"

Before Nico could protest that notion, Mr Ollivander darted to the back of a shop with speed and agility that greatly belied his age. Soon they heard small crashes as Ollivander rummaged through the back of his shop, muffled muttering soon following soon.

"I silly old fool. I should have known all along those wands wouldn't be the one for him. Now… where is it… it should be around here somewhere… no, not there… where did I put it… all these boxes… I need to clean out… the third wand I made… where… aha! Here it is!"

Nico turned to Harry, quirking an eyebrow. "Is he always like this?"

Before Harry could answer, Ollivander came back, excitement written all over his face. "Mr di Angelo, try this wand."

Harry prepared to duck, but he took notice of one thing before Nico took it with a sigh and slight rolling of his eyes: This wand was as black as night, and was the longest Nico had tried so far.

It didn't explode. Nor did it bring more chaos to the shop. But if Harry had to be honest, he would have preferred if it did. The moment Nico's fingers grasped the handle, the shadows in the shop thickened to the point they consumed the walls, shelves and floor in darkness and closed out the light coming from the shattered windows. Then it grew cold. Frost seemed to be spreading from a circle around Nico in a cobweb pattern. A wind started blowing out of nowhere, making Nico's cloak billow around him and his hair fly around his face.

And all the while, Fawkes was sitting happily on Nico's shoulder and Ollivander was jumping up and down, shouting in joy in excitement. As for Nico? He was standing in the centre of it all, a look of wonder on his face, a wide smile stretching his lips.

As sudden as it all started, just as abruptly it died down again, leaving the shop in the same condition before Nico got hold on his new wand. Still smiling, though not as much as when he was surrounded by the effects caused by the wand as it acknowledged him, he turned to the wandmaker.

"I take it that means this… wand… has chosen me?"

Ollivander nodded, a smile gracing his lips. He withdrew his own wand gave a few flicks with it, and in matter of seconds, the shop was restored to its original state, minus one wand.

"Yes. I remember every wand I have ever sold, Mr di Angelo. Every single wand. And I remember every wand I have made."

Nico glanced at the wand as Harry came around the counter. "You made this Mr Ollivander?"

The wandmaker nodded. "Yes indeed. It was many years ago, when I was young and new in the business. I sought to match a rival of mine, so I started experimenting. Of all the wands I made that year, one almost cost me my life." He nodded at their surprised looks. "Yes. Making that wand almost cost me my life. Twice."

Harry stared at the wand with trepidation. However, despite his anxiety, he couldn't help but take notice of one thing. "Mr Ollivander? You haven't said anything about the wood, length and core of this particular wand."

Ollivander closed his eyes. "This particular wand is made of rowan wood, twelve inches and unyielding."

Ollivander fell silent, and muttered something about dangerous place. That only made Harry even more curious. Not to mention anxious. "Mr Ollivander? What is the core of that wand?"

The old wandmaker sighed. And when he opened his eyes and when he spoke, Harry could see the sadness in them. "A bone from a Dementor. Acquiring the bone was the reason I almost died the first time. One does not visit a Dementor graveyard without risk. The second time was when uniting the wood with core. The union almost blew up my entire workshop."

He shook his head. "Youth's arrogance. I thought I could do anything without help." He locked eyes with Nico. "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr di Angelo. It not always clear why, but I think we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. They were terrible, oh yes terrible indeed, but great." He paused before speaking again. "That wand has a strong affinity for the Dark arts, Mr di Angelo. And the allure of the powers of the Dark Arts are great. I would hate to bear the shame of having sold one of the most powerful wands I have ever made to a Dark Wizard."

Nico regarded his new wand for a few moments. He noticed how Harry looked at him with suspicion, but he would have to deal with that later. He looked back into Ollivander's eyes, and when he spoke, his voice was calm.

"Thank you for the warning, Mr Ollivander. I will bear that in mind. However, I don't think you should be ashamed to have sold a wand to whoever that Dark Wizard you spoke of. The powers of a person, or a wand for that matter, does not determine who you are… your choices do. And just because something might be what some people call Dark, does not necessarily mean it is evil. After all, even what is considered Light magic, can still be used to harm innocent people."

Ollivander tilted his head, and Harry could see the respect the wandmaker had in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

"You are very wise someone as young, Mr di Angelo. If I thought we could expect great things from you before, I'm sure now. Nevertheless, allow me to give you another advice: Never forget who you are and what is important. If you do, I fear it will have disastrous consequences for yourself and those you care about."

Harry didn't like the sound of that at all, but one thing was certain: Nico di Angelo was a puzzle that was no so easily solved. He had many traits of a Dark Wizard, but he also had a view on things that no Death Eater ever would sympathize with. Shoving the thought to the back of his head for further discussion with his friend, he tentatively cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry Mr Ollivander, but we need to get back to Hogwarts now."

Mr Ollivander blinked, as if coming out of a trance. "Yes. Yes, of course Mr Potter. That will be eleven Galleons for that wand."

Harry frowned a bit at the price but found the coins. Nico pocketed his wand and Fawkes rose into the air.

"Thank you for your help and patience, Mr Ollivander."

Ollivander just smiled and bowed. "Not at all, Mr di Angelo. Mr Potter."

The two boys grasped the phoenix's tail feathers and vanished in a flash of fire. They reappeared in the Great Hall, just in time for supper. Nico turned to Harry. "Thank you for all the help Harry. I would never have found what I needed back there. And thank you for staying in the shop. It was… interesting, to say the least."

Harry nodded. He couldn't decide whether Nico was attempting to flatter him or if he was being sincere. "You are welcome."

With that they sat down, waiting for the other students and supper to be served. Harry had hoped he could discuss the newest info on Nico with Ron and Hermione, but that proved impossible as Nico was sitting right next to them. He didn't get to talk to them in the Common Room as Nico was nearby, wearing the reading glasses as he bent over the book on Wizarding laws, a frown creasing his brow. Perhaps they could have gotten to talk, but something told Harry that Nico was listening in on the conversations going on around him, keeping an ear out for anything that he didn't want them to discuss. When Harry went to bed that, frustrated that he hadn't gotten to talk with his friends, Nico was still reading in that book.

'Heh, something tells me he and Hermione are going to get along just fine.'

Harry was sure about two things: Nico was an enigma, and they had just scratched the surface. This year was going to be interesting in several ways.

End chapter 3.

AN: Okay, I know I said that Heroes of Olympus never happened, so I'm guessing some of you are wondering what Leo Valdez is doing here. If truth is to be told, I hadn't read 'The Lost Hero' when I got the idea for this fic. But then I read it, and I got several plot ideas. And as I started writing this chapter and started thinking a bit further ahead, I realized I would need Leo's skills in this fic.

So it was either bending "Heroes of Olympus" canon a bit or creating an OC with the skills I needed. And my experience is, OC's can be, sorry for the language, a downright pain in the a**. They make for excellent support characters or if someone need a villain that is easy to dispose of, but they just aren't for major protagonists.

Also, for this fic, it is possible the Percy Jackson characters will display abilities never seen in the books. If it happens, please don't tell me. I don't want spoilers for 'The Son of Neptune" and "Mark of Athena" (seeing how they aren't out in Denmark yet ) if I can avoid it.

Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, for I sure enjoyed writing it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Getting Started

Nico had spent most of the weekend reading about the laws of Wizarding England and some school rules over the times as well. And he had come to the conclusion that these people were overcomplicating things far more than necessary. It was a wonder if anyone could figure them all out without getting a headache. Nico knew, for by the evening of Sunday evening, he suspected Hephaestus had moved a forge into his brain; in short, his head hurt. And some of the laws and rules were just plain out lame or pointless. What the Hades was the point in banning flying carpets or Muggle products that had been tampered with, when you got hundreds or thousands of brooms flying around? For no matter how Nico looked at it, there was no way that objects that were designed for sweeping floors could be safe in the air.

And what was the point in telling the students younger than seventeen that they aren't allowed to perform magic outside school and yet give them spells they had to master during the summer? Or what about no magic if the wizard/witch is younger than seventeen, but no fly ban?

Lastly, there seemed to be great difference in sanctions depending on whether one was muggle-born, half-blood or pure-blood. The pure-blooded got off way easier than the others.

Nico rubbed the bridge of his nose, removing the reading glasses given to him by Dumbledore for a few seconds. They didn't completely nullify his brain's hard-wiring for Ancient Greek, but it was close enough. He was reading up on Defence Against the Dark Arts, as that was the subject this Professor Umbridge was going to teach. From what Nico remembered from his conversation with the Headmaster, Umbridge was on Hogwarts by the order of someone by a man called Fuge or something like that. A spy with a safety-net and as such could spy openly without fearing possible consequences. That was no spy. At least not in Nico's eyes. To him, it was a joke so bad that not even the Stoll brothers would bother with it.

He looked down on the textbook in front of him as he waited for the other Gryffindors to come down for breakfast. "Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard," Nico muttered. If this was the book she intended to use in her lessons, she was almost making it too easy. The son of Hades, however, knew better than to underestimate his opponent. That was why he was reading this piece of utterly useless literature: He was doing his homework for their first skirmish that would take place later that day. "The dice has been cast. Let the game begin."

Nico read on for a few more minutes before a shadow fell over him, blocking the light from the windows. Slowly raising his head, he looked up and met the cold grey eyes of a boy with sleek white-blond hair, a pale complexion and rather sharp, pointed features. He was flanked by two larger boys. One was large and very fat, with a thick neck. His arms were like the ones of a gorilla, while his nose was flat and had a pudding bowl-style haircut. The other had broad shoulders, large feet, small dull eyes, long gorilla arms, and short, bristly hair low on his forehead.

Nico had to refrain from snorting. It was clear to him the blonde in the middle was the leader of the group while the other two were, in lack of better words, thugs. The son of Hades had dealt with plenty of people like them in the past. "Yes?"

Nico almost smirked as the other boy narrowed his eyes at him. He clearly thought he was making Nico uncomfortable or scared. Well, it wasn't working. And while the other was contemplating his next words, Nico was studying him from top to bottom. Perfect sleek hair, new robes and shoes. Kept his back straight even as he was giving Nico a condescending glare, clearly believing he was better than Nico. To the son of Hades, all of that was screaming aristocrat… or to be more, precise the son of one. Well, he could work with that. And it would appear the other boy had decided on what to say.

"So, the Gryffindorks got a new face in their middle. Di Angelo, was it?"

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Gryffindorks? Is that supposed to be an insult? And it is bad manners not to introduce you self before addressing another. Then again, it seems bad manners is something wizards of England got in common, whether they are young or old, or from Gryffindor or, judging from the symbol on your cloak, Slytherin."

Nico observed how the other boy got a slight reddish hue to his cheeks and the slight narrowing of his eyes. So he hit a nerve, huh? He forged on, making sure a bit of his annoyance slipped in, making his voice cold.

"Enough chit-chat. I take you didn't bother getting up so early in the morning to corner me alone just to show of your gorillas, did you, Mr…?"

The other boy's facial expression was so great Nico had to fight himself not to burst out laughing. The boy's eyes widened comically and his face coloured an angry red, like someone had just slapped him. He clearly wasn't used to people talking that way to him. But he regained his composure soon enough and snarled.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. And mark my words; you don't want me as your enemy. I don't like Gryffindors to begin with…"

Draco fell silent under Nico's gaze and the son of Hades' voice seemed to chill the room. "However bad you think you are, Mr Malfoy, I can assure you of this: I'm worse. Now… why did you come over to talk to me if you don't like Gryffindors? What do you want?"

Draco's jaw tightened, but Nico had already seen the flash of fear in his grey eyes. Perhaps that was what prompted him not to stall any longer, but that didn't stop the Malfoy heir from regaining some of his old confident aura.

"I want information on Potter." He narrowed his eyes at Nico and sneered. "But of course a true Gryffindor would never betray one from his own House, would he? Especially if the one he would be betraying was the famous, or should I say, notorious, Harry Potter? If that is the case, I don't see any point in treating you any differently than the other Gryffindorks, isn't that right, Crabbe, Goyle?"

Nico saw how the two larger boys cracked their knuckles and grin stupidly. He could take them on of course, but Draco had just proved to be more interesting than Nico originally thought. Glancing at Crabbe and Goyle, he met Draco's steely gaze with one of his own.

"I'm not from around here, remember? Chances are that you already know whatever I could dig up." Nico smiled inwardly. Time to see just how serious Draco Malfoy was about this. "Then again, I cannot deny I'm curious. But what is in it for me?"

Draco's eyes widened before narrowing slightly. "What is that supposed to mean? You would willingly spy on Potter for me? Not very Gryffindor of you."

The son of Hades gave a slight smirk. "I think we have established by now that I'm not a true Gryffindor, Mr Malfoy. I'm, in lack of better words, an outsider. And the name Harry Potter is just that to me… a name. Nothing more nothing less. But you still haven't answered my question: If I spy on Potter and tell you of my findings, what do I get in return? And please don't think your thugs there scare me. Beating, or should I say attempting to, me to a pulp won't get you what you want, I guarantee."

Draco frowned, clearly contemplating his next move. "I've contacts that would shower you with gold should you discover something useful about Potter. I can show you riches beyond your imagination."

Nico snorted mentally. Being the son of the Lord of the Underworld, he really, really, doubted that claim. Instead he just gazed calmly into Draco's eyes.

"I already have plenty of gold, silver, cobber and gems, Mr Malfoy. What I want is much easier transporting and is something you can give me in person."

Draco narrowed his eyes dangerously. This was not going the way he planned it. "And that would be?"

Nico smiled. "Send your two friends away, and we can talk."

Draco hesitated before gesturing with his hand that Crabbe and Goyle should leave, unintentionally confirming Nico's suspicion about how their group worked. Seating himself, giving the Gryffindor benches a disdainful and disgusted look, the Malfoy heir locked gazes with the son of Hades once more. "We are alone. Now tell me: What do you in return for being my spy in Gryffindor?"

Nico raised his hand, inspecting his fingernails, before looking back at Draco. "I'm an opportunist, Mr Malfoy, just like you. And just like you, I want information." He forged on, not even giving Draco time to open his mouth. "And please do not insult my intelligence by telling me you don't have information. It's clear to me that your parents, your father most likely, have friends and contacts in the top of your Ministry. And I can see in your eyes that he tells you quite a bit about what they tell him. Whatever he tells you is going on in the Ministry, be it face to face, or in a letter… I want that info as well. That is my price for giving you intelligence on Harry Potter." He tilted his head to the right. "And you better decide whether you accept or not now. From the sounds of it, the other students are on their way."

Draco frowned, eyes darting towards the doors, before putting forth his hand. Nico smiled and grasped Draco's hand. But just as Nico was about to pull away, Draco narrowed his eyes at him.

"How can I be sure that what you will tell me isn't something you made up?"

Nico smiled a small mischievous smile. "You can't. Just as I can't be sure you won't feed me lies or something useless like who had tea with who. Goodbye, Mr Malfoy."

Draco glared at Nico for a second before pulling hand to him, obviously recovering from the shock of Nico's cold skin before storming off just as the rest of the student body walked in, chattering mindlessly.

As the students found their seats, Nico pondered how this morning had become much more interesting by meeting Draco Malfoy. He had found an heir to a well-respected family who had contacts in the top of society and, thus was bound to know more about what the government was doing and going to do than your average student. He looked at Harry and his friends, who were talking about themselves. He had noticed a tall girl talk with Harry about something called Quidditch, whatever that was, the two Weasley twins arguing with Hermione about Skiving Snackboxes and them testing them on First Years; Nico made a mental never to accept any candy offered by those two and he send a little prayer to every god listening not to have the Weasley Twins meeting the Stoll brothers; it would be absolute mayhem if they did. Though, if the First Years were stupid enough to volunteer as lab rats, they deserved whatever they got. All newcomers at Camp Half-Blood got a description and warning about the Stolls pretty much on day one.

The topic among the trio shifted to owls and careers, but Nico barely paid attention to the stupid sounding name for a grade. He had to focus for today's task: Payback on Professor Umbridge and getting started gathering information on Harry Potter.

He wasn't about to divulge anything to Draco Malfoy, however. From what Nico had gathered by eavesdropping during his readings, Draco and Harry had some sort of rivalry going on. One thing was certain though: Nico wasn't going to tell anyone about why Harry's soul seemed to flicker so erratically before he was certain why himself. The son of Hades couldn't see it clearly, but he could sense Harry's soul was different somehow. He was certain of that now.

On another note, he had yet to assert how reliable a source of information Draco Malfoy was. Not to mention the value of the intelligence he was brought. And unlike the Malfoy heir, Nico almost always knew when someone was lying.

He could of course corner one of those two buffoons Malfoy had brought and trick or beat the information out of them. That idea, however, had three major flaws. One: Beating them up would attract too much attention. And there was the risk that someone might walk in on the interrogation or fight. Second flaw was that goons are terrible at keeping secret. First they would blabber to Nico, and then they would tell Draco he had been interested in this and that, which in turn would put Draco extra much on guard. Thirdly, gorillas were rarely told more than a tenth of what was going on. And that information could more often than not be obtained through other ways.

Nico sighed. It was a shame that he had to spy on Harry, for he had a feeling they maybe, just maybe, could have been friends. Unfortunately, it was Draco Malfoy who had access to the sort of Intel Nico wanted. And he really doubted the Headmaster would volunteer the information, and he and the teachers seemed all too smart to be fooled that easily. Of course, the son of Hades could always spin up more tricks, but there was no guarantee it would work anyway unless he really took his time. No, this simple approach was much better. The only problem would be if Draco started blabbering to the teachers.

Nico took a deep breath. Sometimes, he really hated his life and his rotten luck. But for now, it was time for his first lessons on Hogwarts.

00000

History of Magic had to be the most boring class ever. Most of the students always fell asleep, and Harry would openly admit to most people that he and Ron had only passed the exams so far because Hermione allowed them to copy down her notes. It didn't become any better that their teacher was ghost who never changed his teaching method.

However, this time, Harry was determined not to fall asleep. This would be the first class Nico di Angelo would have, and the Boy-Who-Lived was more than a bit curious about how he would be in their classes. Hermione had tutored him a little over the weekend, but the new boy hadn't really revealed anything new aside from being a bookworm and smart like Hermione as he seemed to only have to read the text a few times.

He had, however, told his friends about the events at Ollivander's. Both had been quite disturbed, but to Harry's chagrin, they had been more worried about Ollivander visiting a Dementor graveyard than the type of wand that had chosen Nico. But as Hermione and Ron said; whenever the three of them suspected something, their suspicions had a habit of being proven false in the end. But even they couldn't deny that Nico was an enigma that needed to be solved… the faster, the better.

That is why they had placed themselves strategically in the back of classroom, making sure to save a spot for Nico next to them. For as the old saying says: Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer.

When Nico stepped into the classroom, Harry ignored the sighs from some of the girls as he took in Nico's appearance. Not much had changed from their trip to Diagon Alley. Only difference was that the other boy no longer had his arm in a cast and he a schoolbag slung over his shoulders, his dark eyes scanning the classroom, looking for an empty seat. When he saw the spot next to them, he quirked an eyebrow but smiled nonetheless as he took the reserved seat.

"It seems you were right about Malfoy. He is… what was the word… ah yes… a git. Tried ambushing me during my breakfast."

Harry turned his head, hushing Ron with look. Perhaps this could be a hint to Nico's loyalties. "Malfoy attacked you?"

Nico shook his head with a snort. "No, but apparently he wanted to show off his goons. Like that would scare me. I've dealt with plenty of guys like that before."

Before Harry or his friends could comment on Nico's remark, their teacher floated through the blackboard.

"Good morning class. Today we will…"

The ghost teacher's eyes widened comically as his gaze fell on Nico. "You… I was not told of your arrival here young M…"

"Nico di Angelo, Professor. And don't worry, you weren't the only not notified about me coming to Hogwarts. It was quite a surprise for us all." When Professor Binns opened his mouth again, Nico instantly forged on. He had no intention of letting the old ghost give the trio any reason to question him further, much less give them any clues to who he was. "Please continue with the lesson Professor. Don't let my presence disrupt your usual teaching methods. I'm just an exchange student after all. No reason to make a big deal out of it."

It was a concealed order not to tell anything about Nico, and the ghost professor understood it as such. Fumbling a little with his notes, much to the surprise of most of the students, the dead professor started his lesson.

"Today we will start delving into giant wars…"

And so, ten minutes later, the Fifth year class was mostly asleep, save for four students. Nico di Angelo, scribbling down key names and dates, scanning for anything useful. Hermione Granger was writing down notes while she considered their new housemate. The way he had spoken… it was like he had ordered Binns not to tell them something, and yet he hadn't. But what could he have to hide and, better yet, why would the ghost professor listen to a student? She was absolutely clueless, and it frustrated her.

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley played tick-tack-toe while trying to get any clues concerning Nico di Angelo. Unfortunately, they were no closer to any clues than when he first appeared.

00000

"Quiet down."

Nico reckoned it was quite unnecessary for Professor Snape to tell the class to shut up, seeing how absolute silence had fallen the moment he shut the door.

Only half-listening as Snape began drawling on about O. , Nico's thoughts wandered to the trio's encounter with some girl named Cho Chang. It was so obvious to Nico that Harry had a crush on the girl that it was almost laughable. It was even more fun watching Hermione and Ron bickering about something that had to be with being a fan of the sport that Nico had, yet again, forgot the name on.

"… that they do not need to pay attention."

Nico mentally cursed himself as the Professor's voice brought him out of his musings. The son of Hades opened his eyes, meeting the black glaring gaze of Severus Snape. The teacher's lips curled upwards, reminding Nico somewhat hellhound bearing down on its prey.

"Mr di Angelo, it's possible that you are an exchange student and that the Headmaster thinks you should be given some leash because of it. To me however, you are nothing more than just another student. And I expect all of my students to pay attention when I'm speaking. Am… I… understood?"

Nico had to stop himself from giving a scathing retort about how pointless O. was to him when he realized Snape was goading him. Biting down the remark, Nico stared right back at Snape. "My apologies, sir. It will not happen again."

Snape's eyes narrowed, but Nico couldn't deduce whether it was from anger at failing at goading him or something else. The man had way better control over his facial expressions than Harry or Draco did.

"See to it that it won't, Mr di Angelo. As I was telling your, ah, peers, today we will brew the Draught of Peace. The ingredients and procedure is written on the blackboard… and all you will need can be found in the big cabinet. You have one hour and twenty-five minutes… begin."

Nico had to admit, Potion was a rather interesting subject. But it was also hard for an ADHD kid like himself… especially when the potion was so complicated. The ingredients had to be added in the right order in carefully measured amounts; the mix then had to be stirred in an exact amount of time, first clockwise, then counter-clockwise and the temperature of the fire had to be kept in a specific level before the last ingredient could be added. In short, a task that required the utmost focus and was thus any ADHD kid's nightmare.

"By now, a light silver wisp of steam should be rising from your elixir."

Harry felt the sweat running down his forehead as he looked around the crypt with desperation in his eyes. His own cauldron gave off plenty amounts of dark grey steam, while green sparks flew from Ron's whereas Seamus was poking at the dying embers with his wand. Snape gave it a look without commenting, but when he reached Harry, a sinister and ominous smile graced his lips.

"Potter, what is this?"

Harry glanced around the crypt, wanting to curse every Slytherin and their Head of House. Ron was glaring at Snape while Hermione was giving him pitying glances. Nico di Angelo, on the other hand, was watching the scene unfold with a frown, while a silver steam rose from his cauldron, though it was tad darker than Hermione's and a bit thicker. Deciding to question Nico about it later, Harry answered Snape in very tense tone.

"The Draught of Peace."

Snape spoke with a silky voice. "Tell me Potter… can you read?"

Harry ignored Draco Malfoy's laughter, but as he tightened his grip around his wand, the temperature seemed in the room seemed to drop. He briefly wondered if it he was performing accidental magic, but then he pushed the idea back. "Yes I can."

Snape's lips curled further. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept observing the exchange student. The shadows in the room seemed to darken and slowly make their way towards him. 'Interesting. What is your next move, di Angelo?'

"Read the third line in the instruction aloud for me, Potter."

Harry narrowed his eyes to see through the mist of multi-coloured steam. "Add pulverised moonstone, stir three times counter-clockwise, let it simmer for seven minutes and then add two drops of syrup of hellebore."

Harry's heart dropped. He had forgotten the syrup of hellebore and gone onwards to the fourth line.

"Tell me Potter, did you do everything that third line instructed?"

"No."

Snape's lips twisted in a smile. "Pardon me?"

"No," Harry repeated louder this time. "I forgot the syrup of hellebore."

"I know you did, Potter. Which means this slush is utterly useless. Evanesco!"

Harry's potion vanished and he stood like a fool next to an empty cauldron. However, Snape wasn't done. "Di Angelo, I will ask you the same question: can you read? For I see you have not followed the directions as well."

Harry felt anger welling up in him. It was bad enough when Snape picked on Neville and him, but did he really have to pick on the new boy as well? Especially with what was sure to be sore subject. But then Harry got a shock when Nico simply smiled.

"No, Professor Snape. I'm a dyslexic. But with these glasses I can read somewhat." He let out a disappointed sigh as he looked at his near perfect elixir. "I guess I misread the third line as well. At some point I took off my glasses, and I probably read the seven minutes as eight minutes instead."

A long silence filled the room, only broken by the cauldrons bubbling. Then Snape sneered. "Ten points from Gryffindor for exceeding stupidity, di Angelo. By not keeping your glasses on and thus failing to read the instruction, you endangered your classmates. A mistake at a more critical point could easily have blown up this dungeon." Snape fell silent for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes slightly as he locked gaze with Nico, black abysses staring into black abysses. "But seeing that your potion is not a total catastrophe, I can safely assume that your classmates back home must have read the instructions for you, am I right?"

Another boy from Gryffindor, Neville, if Nico remembered correctly, whimpered. Nico doubted Snape was serious about the whole dungeon exploding. The son of Hades had seen how the professor had kept a hawk-eye on all the cauldrons, and he would eat the Sorting Hat on Snape being ready to react should things really get too dangerous. He began opening his mouth, but then stopped. Earlier in the class, he had felt what was probably best described as a gentle brush against his mind. This time, he had felt it again, and this time it was more insistent and suddenly, unbidden by his will, the smiling faces of Percy and Bianca popped up.

'What the…' Nico's eyes narrowed dangerously when he figured out why the images of Percy and Bianca popped up: Snape. He had asked something about Nico's friends and then attempted looking into his mind. Angered, by the trick, and more so for letting down his guard and falling for it, Nico slammed his mental defences back at full force, making sure the Potions Professor was met by a black wall after seeing a quick image of Leo.

Making sure his mental defences were up, Nico answered the teacher's question with a just a tad of coldness. "I'm afraid not, Professor. All the kids on my school are dyslexic."

Severus quirked an eyebrow at that statement. The strength of di Angelo's mental barriers was impressive. He had tried getting access to the boy's memories during the lesson, but it was only now, when pushing a bit harder and laying out some bait he had succeeded… if a few images of faces could be called a success, that is. One thing was certain however: Nico di Angelo was a boy with many talents, his mastery of Occlumency making him much harder to figure out than Potter.

"To those of you, who did succeed in reading the instruction: Fill a bottle with a sample of your potion, put on a label with a clear signature and put it on my desk where I will control your work. Homework: Twelve inches on the Moonstone properties and usage in elixirs. Are to be handed in on Thursday."

Both Harry and Nico left the dungeon as the first, storm clouds hanging over their heads. But in Nico's case, it was because he had lowered his guard. He barely even acknowledged her when Hermione said how unfair Snape had been treating him and Harry. He could honestly care less about that. He was used to dealing with injustice. No, what really mattered was how easily Snape had come to obtaining information on him. Snape was observant, and with his ability to read minds, or whatever he did, Nico knew that he would have to watch his steps carefully and never let down his guard around Snape.

00000

Divination was, in Nico's opinion, a joke. The Professor wanted them to tell their dreams to each other, and then they had to interpret what those dreams meant by looking it up in a book. There was no way in Hades Nico was going to share his dreams. He already knew that demigod dreams usually meant trouble and peril… he didn't need a book to tell him that. But when the Professor, Trelawney, or something like that, started telling him that the son of one of his uncles would drown and the daughter of another uncle would be struck by lightning, he outright laughed. After that, he flat out ignored the crazy lady.

And now, after turning out the trio's talk about homework, Nico sat in the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, watching as Professor Umbridge sat behind the desk, wearing a pink cardigan.

"Good afternoon class." A few muttered back a good afternoon. "Oh dear me, that won't really do at all, will it? I will ask you to please answer loud and clear: Good afternoon Professor Umbridge. Let's try again. Good afternoon class."

Nico raised his eyebrows, but joined in on the chorus of "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge."

The professor smiled sweetly. "That wasn't so hard, wasn't it? Wands away and take out your quills, please."

Nico watched the dark looks exchanged between the students. Evidently, the order, wands away, had never been followed by a lesson they had found interesting. 'Well,' Nico thought, 'perhaps I can change that. But I need an opening.'

Harry saw the smirk spreading across Nico's face, and he wondered what the American was finding so funny. One thing was certain though: Nico di Angelo was up to something.

Professor Umbridge took out her own wand, an unusually short one, and hit the blackboard a couple of times, causing words to appear.

'Defence Against the Dark Arts. A repetition of basal principles… what is this, a joke?' Nico took a quick look around, observing the class, only partially listening to Professor Umbridge talking about the constant change of teachers being responsible for the students being below the level the Ministry expected them to be at in their O. year. Judging from the tightening of the faces of the fifth year Gryffindors, that claim was not appreciated.

"… please write down the following."

Another hit on the blackboard, and the word 'Objectives' appeared.

_Understanding of the overriding principles of defensive magic_

_Acquire of knowledge of situation where defensive magic can be legally used._

_Theoretical knowledge of the use of defensive magic in a practical context._

After a few minutes where nothing but the sound of quills scribbling away on parchment could be heard, Umbridge spoke again.

"Have all gotten themselves an example of 'Defensive Magical Theory' by Wilbert Slinkhard?" A few muttered a 'yes Professor Umbridge'. "I think we will have to try again. When I ask you a question, I would like you to answer either 'yes, Professor Umbridge' or 'no, Professor Umbridge. Now, let's try again. Have all got a copy of 'Defensive Magical Theory' by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

Nico had to suppress a snort, but he joined in on the chorus of 'Yes, Professor Umbridge.'

The professor smiled. "Excellent. Now, I would like of you to open your books at page five and read the first chapter- Basics for beginners. There will be no need for talking."

The teacher left the blackboard and sat down behind her desk, observing everyone with her toad-like eyes. Harry sighed, opened the book on page five and began reading. It was extremely boring, about as bad as listening to Professor Binns. And after several minutes of silence, where he had read the same line a dozen times and only remembering the first words. Next to him was Ron turning his quill in his hand while looking at the exact same spot on the page. Looking to him, however, Harry got a shock that shook him out of his stupor.

Nico di Angelo hadn't as much as taken out his book. Instead, he was leaning back in his chair, looking at Hermione with mild interest. And it was said girl who gave the Boy-Who-Lived a shock. She hadn't opened her book, but she was staring at Professor Umbridge, hand raised. Harry couldn't remember Hermione ever refusing to read when she was told, or any other book for that matter. And when he gave her a questioning look, she just shook her head, indicating she wasn't about to answer his silent question.

Several minutes went by with Hermione staring at Umbridge while the teacher was looking the other way, but Harry and Nico weren't the only ones looking at Hermione. The chapter they had been told was so boring that most students opted for Hermione trying to get Umbridge's attention than struggling through the chapter.

With more than half of the class not reading, Professor Umbridge apparently decided not to ignore the situation any longer. "Would you like to ask me a question about the chapter my dear?"

"Not about the chapter, no." Hermione answered.

The teacher smiled a sweetly smile that send shivers down Harry's spine. "But it is reading time now, dear. If you have a question that doesn't pertain to today's text, it will have to wait till after the class."

"I've a question to your objectives."

The professor raised her eyebrows. "And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger."

Umbridge smiled and spoke with strained sweetness in her voice. "Well miss Granger, I would think that the objectives for this course are quite clear if read carefully."

"But I don't. They don't say anything about using magic."

Nico more or less turned out after that, though he still kept listening with half an ear. It would appear that he wouldn't get a true opening. But then…

"He wasn't dead," Harry spoke in an angry tone. "But yes, he has returned!"

"Mr Potter-you-have-already-lost ten-House-points-don't-make-it any-harder-for-yourself." Nico was impressed that Umbridge could say all that in one breath. Then again, if Annabeth or Leo got excited about something, they could speak like that as well. Not to mention, catch fire. But Nico remembered only parts of the arguments, but something told him he was about to get his opening.

"As I said, you have been told that a certain Dark Wizard is at large once again. That is a lie."

"It's NOT a lie! I saw him, I fought him!"

Nico smiled inwardly. All Umbridge had to do was…

"Detention, Mr Potter." Nico saw the triumphant look in her eyes and smile. Well, he was going to wipe that off soon enough. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. I repeat: It is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you aren't in any danger of meeting any Dark Wizard. If you are still worried, you are welcome to visit me in my office after classes. If anybody is frightening you with little lies about reborn Dark Wizards, I would very much like to know. I'm here to help. I'm your friend. And now I would for you to continue reading, page five, Basics for beginners."

She sat down and started writing on a piece of parchment, a ghastly pink envelope lying beside it. Harry could hear the blood pumping in his ears. He was so angry that he started getting up, ignoring Hermione whispering to him in warning tones. His anger didn't lessen when he saw the amused smirk on di Angelo's face. How dared he? What did he knew about death and losing a comrade? What did he know anyway? He was just an outsider. Rage coursing through his veins, Harry tried getting up… tried, being the keyword. Some invisible force was holding him seated.

"I'm afraid you can't give Potter a detention, Professor Umbridge."

The teacher stopped writing and an eerie silence filled the room as everyone took turns looking from the exchange student and the professor. Umbridge slowly raised her gaze and locked eyes with the calm black orbs of the exchange student, her eyes telling of suppressed fury.

"And why, Mr di Angelo, can't I give Mr Potter a detention?"

Nico just met her gaze calmly. "As I recall it, Professor Umbridge, you asked who would want to hurt children. Potter answered that this Lord Voldemort would. He was simply answering a question that you asked in the first place. You are calling it a lie… perhaps you are right. You have, however, not presented any argument that Potter is indeed lying, and as such, can't claim he is lying."

The classroom fell silent as Nico's words sank in. Umbridge, on the other hand, looked like someone had made a rude gesture towards her. She soon schooled her face into sweet smile however, addressing Nico like a five year old.

"That might very well be dear, but I'm giving him a detention for disrupting and disturbing my lesson."

Nico smiled, knowing that Umbridge was taking the bait. Schooling his face into one of innocence, he spoke again. "But as we just established, you were having a discussion about who would want to hurt children. You never officially said the discussion was over. All you said was: 'Let me make this clear.' That is not an, according to Ministerial guidelines, as I'm sure you as a teacher knows, official end of a discussion, but rather you trying to convince us you are speaking the truth."

The son of Hades watched with concealed amusement a reddish hue in her cheeks. "Are you calling me a liar, di Angelo?"

Nico shook his head, a horrified look on his face. "No Ma'am. I'm just pointing out that the discussion is not yet over, and as such, Potter is still free to speak up about Lord Voldemort being back if he wants to." He noticed the class flinching at the name. Interesting. He forged on the moment the professor opened her mouth. "I don't know whether this Lord Voldemort is back or not. I believe the question was who would want to hurt children like ourselves. Well, the two monsters following me here definitely weren't going to give me flowers. And I assure you, there are more of those out there. And I can assure you that they won't mind a defenceless snack. Which bring me to my next point. As Potter said, if we are attacked, it won't be without risk. Better mess up in a classroom than in life-death situation. Therefore we have to learn how to defend ourselves; both in theory and in real life."

Harry found himself reassessing Nico… again. When he looked into Nico's eyes, ignoring Umbridge who was getting redder by the second, he saw the pain hidden in the depth. Nico knew one, or more, who had died because they weren't properly trained to deal with situations. One thing was certain though: Professor Umbridge seemed to have forgotten everything about assigning Harry any detention.

"It is not in your place to me, someone much older and wiser than you, how to teach my class, Mr di Angelo. If you had paid attention, you might remember me saying that that as long you have studied the theory diligently, the Ministry is of the conviction that that will be enough to pass your exams."

Nico schooled his expression into a confused one, while he was laughing on the inside. Theoretically speaking, he was older than the professor. "Then I'm afraid I don't understand, Professor Umbridge. I was reading up on your laws, and according to Section 343, paragraph B, Educational Decree number Twenty-One : As of this day, all Hogwarts students from third year and up have the right to demand of the teachers in Astronomy, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions and Transfiguration, that they have at least two lessons of training and demonstrating their practical skills in the subject through what they have learned in theory. Signed on January 1st 1990 by Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic."

A stunned silence filled the room, and Harry couldn't help but be impressed by Nico's memory. And one look at Hermione told him that she was not aware of that rule. It was quite sad, really, that an American knew their rules better than they did. But if it got him out of detention, who was he to complain? And Umbridge's expression was priceless. Her face was a dark red, bordering on purple, but she looked like someone had slapped her once or twice. Taking a few deep breaths, she stared down at Nico.

"Rules can be changed as seen fit, Mr di Angelo."

Nico nodded his acknowledgment of that truth. "Indeed, Ma'am. But I quoted that out of your newest edition of your law set. I also read that until a new law has been passed that nullify an earlier version or older law, as long they aren't in conflict with the Founding Rules, the older versions or laws still applies." Here, Nico hesitated a bit, innocent confusion crossing his face. "I'm sure, as a teacher, you are aware of that rule." Then his eyes turned steely. "Or am I to understand it as such that you won't follow the rules as set forth by your Ministry? I really doubt that is a good image to send to the other Ministries across the world. Hogwarts, and by association, Great Britain's Ministry of Magic, are going to look bad in the eyes of wizards and witches across the globe."

Professor Umbridge was by now a deep plum purple, but after glaring down at Nico with absolute fury in her eyes, she seemed to deflate and sat down. Still glaring, she spoke in voice that conveyed her anger and loathing.

"Mr Potter, you don't have detention tomorrow. The discussion is over. Class dismissed."

As they left the classroom, Harry saw the professor tearing apart the parchment and envelope, glaring at Nico's back. Looking to his left, the Boy-Who-Lived studied Nico's carefree expression as the exchange seemed to be whistling to himself. If he could feel the DADA professor glaring daggers at his back, he didn't seem to mind. Someone shoved him in back. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Hermione gesturing towards Nico. Knowing what she wanted him to do, he spoke up.

"Thanks Nico. I owe you one. You got me out of a detention. You didn't have to, but you did. Thanks."

Nico turned his head, a bewildered look on his face. "I know I didn't have to. But you are welcome."

Harry frowned. "Then why did you do it?"

Nico smiled innocently and gave a shrug. "One favour is worth the other. Professor Umbridge complicated my life when she destroyed my sword. I think it's only fair I return the favour, don't you?" Then his smile faded. "Don't count on me saving you like that again, Harry. If you want to beat your opponents, learn the rules they play or don't play by."

With that, Nico walked on, deep in thought. He had a feeling that after their little encounter, Professor Umbridge was going to get nastier from here on. 'Well,' Nico thought, 'whatever you come up with next Umbridge, I'm going to make it as difficult for you as I can. Your move.'

As for Harry Potter and his friends, they kept walking towards dinner and were, yet again, wondering: Who the hell was Nico di Angelo?

End chapter 4

AN:

Thank you to all those who have added the story and, in some cases, me, to alerts and favourites.

I know that some parts are more or less taken from the book. But I needed those parts to keep something akin to structure in my flow. And no, Nico is not going to excel in every subject. He is going to suck in some, average or perhaps a little above in most other and excel in one.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow. 36 reviews for one chapter? I'm completely speechless. I'm truly honoured. Thank you. And thank you to all who have put me and this story on alerts and favourites. **

**To the anonymous reviewers: Thank you to; insert here one AWESOME name, Guest1, Guest who wrote Robotic Worm, Guest (who reviewed 9/9/12, M, and Idea. Now, on to the chapter. **

Chapter 5: Crucial Information

He stood on the roof of the Astronomy Tower. The wind was cold against his face beneath his cloak. The stars shone brightly in the sky and he easily spotted the Huntress. Sorrow and bitterness welled up within him. The Hunters of Artemis… almost five years had passed since Bianca joined the Hunt and was killed. Five years, and yet the pain was still fresh. His bitterness overrode his sadness. Bianca had not been ready for a quest and yet she was chosen.

The door opened and Nico reigned in his emotions and the shadows that had thickened around him receded and the dark fire licking his fingertips died. He sighed internally, getting his breathing and emotions under control. It had been a year since last time he lost control of his emotions. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again and stuffing his hands away in the sleeves of his cloak.

"You are late. I was starting to worry you wouldn't come."

The newcomer sneered as he dropped his hood. "Well, I had to sneak past the other Prefects and teachers on patrol. And even so, I cannot stay for long. My lack of presence will be noticed soon enough."

Nico smiled. They had agreed to meet here for two reasons: One, it was not often it got checked by the teachers and Prefects on patrols and two, none of them would have the advantage of their Houses being closer than the other. "Of course Draco. Now, I trust you have something important to tell me since you called this meeting."

Draco sneered. "Yes. But as I remember, our bargain was that we would exchange information. So… before I tell you what I know I want to hear what you have learned."

Nico turned his head, gazing at the horizon. He would play along with Malfoy… for now. "The Gryffindors are divided. Most seems to think that Harry and Dumbledore are crazy. A select few, like Harry's closest friends, the Weasley twins and their sister, Neville Longbottom, the Creevy brothers and Lee Jordan support Harry's claim about this Lord Voldemort having returned." Nico noticed how Draco flinched when he mentioned Voldemort. "Some remain neutral, however. Dean Thomas, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, to name a few. The rest either think he is nuts or are scared of him." Nico shrugged. "Aside from that, there is not much to tell." The son of Hades turned his head slightly. "Your turn."

Draco scowled. He had hoped for more interesting news. However, one look at the other boy told him he was not going to leave before he had shared his information. He briefly considered drawing his wand, but Nico had both of his hands hidden in his cloak's sleeves; chances were that he was holding his wand in one of them. When he spoke, his annoyance was clear.

"The Ministry plans on making Professor Umbridge Hogwarts High Inquisitor. It means that she can evaluate the other teachers and fire them if they don't live up to the standards set by the Ministry." Draco smiled. If you ask me, that Muggle-loving fool to Dumbledore won't be around much more."

Nico didn't react externally. But his mind was running a hundred miles an hour. That little bit of information was most useful. To the public it would look like the Ministry was having the students' best interests at heart, but from what Nico had gathered in his short time here, it was obvious to him that the Ministry was going to use this new position to lessen Dumbledore's control over Hogwarts. In short, he, Dumbledore and the teachers, and Harry and his friends would have to watch their steps. He turned his head again, gazing at the horizon.

"Thank you for the information, Mr Malfoy. I will be in touch if I learn something interesting."

Draco opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it. Nothing good would come of it. With a last scowl, which was ignored by the other boy, Draco pulled up his hood and left, leaving Nico di Angelo to his thoughts.

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Nico stared at Harry. "Could you please repeat that? I'm not sure I heard you correctly. You want me to do what?"

Harry smiled. He could easily understand Nico's bewilderment. At least somewhat. The Gryffindor Quidditch team had been horrified when they learned that Nico had never ridden a broom, let alone played or been to a game of Quidditch. And after Harry told Angelina how Nico had talked him out of detention with Umbridge, the new captain had insisted on Nico coming to train with them, or at the least watch them train and the try-outs. That little incident had made Nico somewhat of a celebrity on Hogwarts… more than he already was at any rate. But if what Nico told them was true, at his school, they rode on pegasi.

"You have to treat the broom with respect. If the broomstick senses your anxiety and discomfort, it will work against you rather than with you."

Nico scowled. The idea was absurd. As a demigod, he had seen, and asked, to do a fair share of weird things. Still, being asked to treat a broom, a mere tool, as if it was a sentient being… well, that was just ridiculous. Though, he couldn't deny, that when he grasped his newly acquired wand, a feeling of happiness, acknowledgment and familiarity spread through him from the wand. So maybe, just maybe, a broomstick worked the same way.

So with a sigh of resignation, Nico held out his hand over Harry's Firebolt. "Up." Nothing happened. "Up." The broom jumped a little before hitting the ground again. He repeated the same order four more times. The three first times, it lifted from the ground before hitting the ground again. The fourth, it spun in a circle, the crossbar for the legs carving the ground. Nico, deeply annoyed, frowned at the broomstick. Harry laughed.

"I've to admit Nico, I've never seen a broom making that stunt before. Perhaps…"

Harry didn't finish his sentence, for at that moment, Nico let out a yell of outrage. "What do you mean by, 'NO', you stupid broom?!" He held out his hand again. "UP!"

Up it got. Too far and too fast. Nico thanked his reflexes. If not for them, he would have been hit right in the face. The broom flew several metres backwards, but luckily it didn't hit anybody. Nico growled before approaching the broom again. He walked up to it, held out his hand and spoke in a much calmer voice. "Up."

Nothing happened. Nico sighed. "Seems I won't be flying today."

Harry regarded Nico for a moment. The guy actually looked sad he didn't get to fly. However, one look at Angelina told him that the captain wanted to get started with the training. "I'm sorry Nico, but we have to get started. Perhaps another day."

Nico stared for a few seconds at the stubborn broom before his shoulders slouched and he let out a sigh. "Don't worry about it Harry. I'm not overly fond of flying anyways. But afterwards, I need to talk with you. It is about… WAAAAAHHHHHHH! FRED… NO GEORGE… NO… WEASLEY, PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!"

Harry blinked. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't spotted the infamous Weasley twins on the pitch. Looking up, it wasn't hard to figure what had happened. Both had flown out from nowhere, grabbed Nico from behind and hauled him onto one of their brooms. From this distance, Harry couldn't tell which was which, but he could hear Nico yelling quite clearly.

"Put me down this instant! Put me down, now!"

The twins laughed.

"Or you…"

"Will do…"

"What…"

"Exactly?"

Nico led out a long string of profanities that the wind drowned out. But from the looks on the twins' faces, the younger boy's language amused them greatly.

"Put me down or I swear, I will throw you off this damn broom!"

The twins looked at other before they grinned.

"Your wish…"

"Is our command."

"But don't…"

"Trouble yourself with…"

"That. I will jump on my own. Ready George?"

"Ready Fred."

Nico paled. "Wait… what…"

Fred laughed with delight. "Geronimo!"

With that he led himself fall from the broom, but he was expertly caught by George as the other broom plummeted with Nico screaming.

Down at the ground, people gasped with shock. Some of the girls covered their mouths in horror. "He is going to get killed!"

"What are those idiots thinking?!"

Harry didn't really hear who shouted the first thing, but all of the Gryffindor Chasers yelled the second simultaneously. All the while, the twins were circling in the air, Nico screaming bloody murder several metres above them, the broom first going down, then up again and from side to side. Then, the broom took a dive, going right past Fred and George, gaining speed as it descended. And they could hear Nico screaming.

"OH ST…X!"

Fred and George were in hot pursuit, but it was clear to Harry that they wouldn't make it, and Nico was coming with too great speed for anyone of the players on the ground to mount their own brooms and pull him off. Several of the players closed their eyes for the impact that was sure to come. It never did. Time seemed to slow down. Harry heard Fred yelling, but it sounded distorted and long away.

"Pull up, Nico! Pull up!"

Nico yelled out more profanities that thankfully were lost in the wind, though Harry was sure Nico came with a very colourful suggestion as to where Fred could pull up his broom.

Three feet from the ground, Nico, in sheer desperation, pulled at the end of the broom. Result: He soared into the sky anew, yelling even more. But then he evened out and held the broom steady. Stunned silence. Then, loud applause and cheering.

Nico exhaled. He had somehow survived not only being in the air but also a break-neck dive. And though he couldn't deny being terrified during the dive, the feeling of moving at such great velocity had been exhilarating at the same time. Especially once he got the broom under control. He knew he had said a lot of things that was less than pleasant, but now he was relaxing.

A grin slowly spread over his face. Now that he had full control over the broom and hovered in mid-air, he finally understood why Jason liked flying around so much. He felt… free. A laugh of delight escaped his lips and he made a somersault with the broom, his laughter increasing.

"Oi, Nico! You are a natural!"

Nico looked down. The one who had called was Harry, who was smiling along with the other Gryffindors. He smiled back. Then he spotted the twins descending slowly. A mischievous smirk appeared on his face. He dived.

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Harry frowned. Nico dived, quickly achieving top speed. 'What is he doing? He is going to crash into…' Nico suddenly turned and Harry's eyes went wide. 'I wonder if he can pull it off.'

Nico headed right for Fred and George. The twins yelped and Fred took off, barely dodging Nico's attempt at knocking him and his twin of the broom. However, Nico ascended and dived again just as quickly, once again aiming for them. And so it continued for a few minutes until the infamous Weasley twins landed on the ground, Nico having only managed to brush them with a foot. Nico landed a few feet away, scowling slightly, though the corner of his lips curved upwards. The three Gryffindor Chasers went towards the twins, clearly to give them a piece of their mind. It wasn't long before the three girls were shouting at the two Beaters, making the earful incomprehensible. Harry and his friends went to Nico.

Harry was smiling. "I've to admit Nico; that was some flying. Sure you never have flown a broom before?"

Nico shook his head. "Positive. As I said, we don't use brooms to fly on. And I'm not much of a flyer back at my school to begin with." Never mind the fact that his uncle would blast him out of the sky if he found out. He smiled a sincere smile. "Thank you for inviting me to your training session. But now I must go. I've some reading to do."

"But we only gave…"

"Him a push…"

"In the right direction!"

Nico stopped dead in his tracks at the voice of the twins' voices. His original plan was to knock them off the broom. He had almost succeeded, but Fred's experience and skills with a broom had saved him and his brother from eating earth. He looked at the twins, who were getting another earful from the girls and a new plan formed. It was not a master plan, but whatever. He walked towards the twins and Gryffindor Chasers, Harry and friends right in tow. The girls parted for him, smug looks on the faces as Fred and George seemed to wither before the younger boy.

"Look Nico old pal…"

"We just wanted…"

"To see if you…"

"Were telling the truth or…"

"Pulling one on us." George stated. "We were thoughtless… you could have been killed… I'm sorry Nico."

Fred nodded solemnly. "Yeah mate… didn't think that one through. I…"

Nico held up his hand, a smile on his lips. "It's okay… Fred, and George, was it?" The twins both nodded. "Thanks to you, I tried flying. If not for you, I would never have gotten to fly today. It's cool. I forgive you."

The Weasley twins were astounded. They had not expected to be forgiven that easily. Fred spoke up "So, we are cool? You won't tell McGonagall?"

Nico nodded, still smiling. "Of course not. And yeah, we are cool. Actually, I want to show you a trick with a broom. I don't think you have seen it before."

Fred and George looked at each other. Something didn't seem quite right. If Nico had never flown a broom before, then how could Nico show them a trick? Then again, it was possible he had been to Quidditch match and picked up some trick. They nodded in agreement. And spoke as one. "Show us."

Nico smiled. "Good. This is the trick."

THWACK! THWACK!

Seen in hindsight, the twins and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team should have foreseen it. Still, it was not often you saw the Weasley twins getting smacked with a broom. Especially not with one of their own brooms.

"That," Angelina said. "Was one remarkable trick indeed. Perhaps the rest of us should use that trick more often?"

All of the people on the Quidditch pitch, Fred and George Weasley included despite their sore heads, laughed. And as for Nico… for the first time in years, he felt like a normal teenager.

00000

They were ready. After days of travel, they were ready for the last trip of their journey. "Run, Arion, run. Show us the true meaning of speed."

A horse whinnied, followed by a sonic boom and steam rose in a long trail from Iceland's most southern point, headed straight for Scotland.

00000

"Leo, what's on your mind?"

Leo jumped three feet into the air. He had been sitting at the bow of Festus, glancing at the approaching coast of south-western coast of Great Britain. Since finding Festus, Leo had made some upgrades. Most notable being Festus's naval mode. Just like he could be folded into a suitcase like another Iron Man, Leo had made him so he could expand into a boat. Not a big cruiser, but big enough for three demigods, one Cyclops and one satyr. In less than five hours, they would reach the coastline and rendezvous with the Hunters of Artemis in a city called Bristol. And then, the search for Nico di Angelo would begin. The Hunters would move north towards Scotland while Percy, Annabeth, Tyson and Grover would search London and everywhere south of it.

"It's nothing."

Annabeth frowned. "Okay, Leo, try again. I know something is on your mind, or you wouldn't be fiddling with that wire and those bolts and nuts."

Leo glanced down, blushing as he realized he had been caught. Out of wire and some bolt and nuts he had built a boomerang and from the looks of it, he had equipped it with something similar to jet motors. He sighed and put it in his tool belt. He might need it later.

"I just have a bad feeling about this quest. And I'm worried about Nico."

Annabeth frowned even deeper. It was true that Nico and Leo had grown to be friends over the years, especially after Nico helped Leo to control his fire abilities, but she could also tell the younger boy was hiding something. "Leo, we are all worried about Nico."

Leo shook his head. "That is not what I meant."

Annabeth's eyebrows rose. "Then what is it?"

Leo sighed, gazing at the horizon as he considered his words. Before becoming friends with Nico, the son of Hephaestus had considered the son of Hades for creepy. But then they had become close friends, and Leo doubted how many aside for himself, Percy and the Stolls who could call themselves that. It was also because of this he knew something about Nico that probably no else at Camp did. He glanced around. Percy was nowhere to be seen. He was probably sleeping. Leo sighed once more and closed his eyes.

"What I'm about to tell is probably one of Nico's most guarded secrets. I only know this because he got drunk alongside the Stolls and me. He'd never admit to it to any others… and probably still won't… but a part of Nico, no matter how small of him… still blames Percy and the Hunters of Artemis for Bianca's death."

Annabeth's breath hitched. She had more or less always had mixed feelings about Nico di Angelo. She couldn't really explain it, but she had always felt uneasy around him. There was a darkness in him. She had felt it when they saved him and Bianca, but she had dismissed it to being because of the manticore. But after Bianca's death, it had become more pronounced. Suddenly the four of them getting drunk didn't seem that important.

"What, exactly, are you saying, Leo? Don't you think we can trust him? And don't you think we should tell this to Percy and Thalia?"

Leo shook his head. "I honestly don't see how it would do anyone any good. Nico have always had a rocky relationship with Percy in the past. I doubt Percy has forgotten how Nico tricked him into the Underworld during the Titan War, never mind that Nico was being tricked himself. As for Thalia:" He sighed. "She and Nico tolerate each other, but the rest of the Hunters detest Nico and the feeling is mutual."

Annabeth opened her mouth, but Percy chose just that moment to appear. "Guys, I just got an IM-message from Travis Stoll. He had some interesting news."

The two other demigods turned. Annabeth spoke for both of them. "What is it? Is it about Nico?"

Percy shook his head. "No."

Annabeth studied Percy. He looked pretty worked up. Deciding to let the matter about Nico's grudge slide, for now, Annabeth focused on her boyfriend. "Then what got you so agitated?"

Percy took a deep breath. "Last night, Travis and Connor were in New York 'buying' some supplies."

Annabeth snorted. Those two buying stuff? More like borrowing stuff without permission and with no intention of returning it. Most likely on request from the Hephaestus cabin. And while Annabeth wasn't much for admitting it, fact remain that Camp Half-Blood needs them to some less legal work now and then. Most of the time it was locating things they needed, like Celestial Bronze or other materials that they couldn't find in Bunker 9. That they sometimes 'bought' some extra was a different story altogether. Which reminded her: She strongly suspected them for having taken/hidden her dagger. She would have to deal with that later. "And? Percy, you know how those two are."

Percy shook his head. "That is not it, Wise Girl. During their shopping, they saw some hellhounds attacking three people in an alley. But these guys defeated the hellhounds with swords."

Annabeth frowned. "Demigods?"

Percy nodded. "Travis and Connor think so. But here is the weird part. According to Travis, the three people wore purple t-shirts and their swords seemed to be made of gold. Do you have any idea what is going on here?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I've never heard of demigods using gold weapons. They didn't notice anything else? Have they asked Chiron?"

Percy shook his head in the negative. "No, they haven't asked Chiron yet. And they didn't notice anything beside the fact that these demigods were used to dealing with hellhounds, knew how to handle their weapons and work as a team." He sighed. "Am I the only one getting the feeling that things are about to get complicated?"

Neither Annabeth nor Leo spoke. There was no reason to, for they had the same thought.

00000

Harry and his friends felt like someone had punched them in the gut. "She will become what?"

Nico sighed. They had just finished practising Charms, but he found it extremely difficult. Perhaps it was because he found it absolutely pointless. Why would someone want a teacup doing cartwheels or make pillows hover in mid-air? According to Ron, making things levitate was a basic skill for a wizard, but Nico couldn't for the life of him figure out why. Even Jason only made things fly when the situation called for it or if he was in a hurry. So Nico wondered if these wizards weren't just doing it because they could. Just like Lou Ellen stealing people's nose… quite literally.

He was not much better in Herbology, but he quickly figured out which plants to avoid. Especially after he got too close to a Venomous Tentacula. Mind you, he didn't have had any lessons for real yet, but Professors Flitwick and Sprout had given him a taste of their subjects. Ancient Runes was for the most part easy, though a lot of words sounded the same in his ears. Transfiguration was a breeze, but McGonagall warned him that would become much harder once he joined class. He was looking forward to it.

Nico sighed and pushed a strand of hair behind his ear. "The Ministry plans on making Professor Umbridge a High Inquisitor. It means that she can evaluate the other teachers and fire them if they don't live up to the standards set by the Ministry. Knight to e5. Check."

Harry didn't like the sound of that. Umbridge with more power? Not good news. He glanced at the chessboard in front of him, sighing unhappily. "King to d2. So… with Umbridge becoming High Inquisitor, what do you guys think we can expect from her?"

Nico shook his head. "I'm not sure about the teachers. My best guess is that she will start with harassing them in public. I have a feeling, however, that she will be out to get to me and you, Harry. She will most likely try to make you lose your temper." He glanced at the board. "Rook to h2. Checkmate." Nico looked up at Harry. "Sorry to say this Harry, but you didn't think that move through. I hope that isn't a habit you got outside a game of chess?"

Harry sighed as he sat back. Nico didn't know anything about the adventures he and his friends had had over the years. Not even close. Then he frowned. "If you don't mind me asking Nico, but how do you know about Professor Umbridge becoming High Inquisitor? I doubt that is common knowledge."

Nico mentally swore. How could he been so careless? What a rookie mistake. He needed to think fast. "I did some exploring of the castle. And Umbridge isn't very careful with where she leaves her letters."

Hermione gave a frown of disapproval. "You read her personal mail?"

Nico shrugged. "Was an accident." Hermione opened her mouth to ask further questions, but Nico forged ahead. "Don't worry Hermione. I was looking for the kitchens last night and I just stumbled over the letter in the Great Hall. I don't have a habit of looking for other people's mail."

Harry frowned. Nico's history was not impossible, just unlikely. Something told him Nico knew about Umbridge becoming High Inquisitor from another source than a letter. But he would let it slide for now. "So Nico… fancy another game of chess?"

Nico mentally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded as he watched the pieces repair themselves and move into position for another round. "Sure, why not." He got himself comfortable in the recliner, silently vowing to himself to be more careful with information in the future. But for now, he wanted to relax. For knowing his luck, it wouldn't last for long.

00000

Their modified chariot, now more like a caravan, came to a stop on Scottish soil and praetor Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, stepped out, his expression grim. He was followed by Frank Zhang, son of Mars, Marcus Johnson, son of Vulcan, and Mariana Delvin, a daughter of Apollo. After travelling across the US, Greenland and Iceland, they had finally reached Scotland. More reinforcements would arrive by eagles later. As the others set up camp, Jason mulled over the circumstances.

Hazel had been attacked a few days ago. The daughter of Pluto had fought back valiantly if the damages and scattered metal and gems were anything to go by. From the looks of it, she had been forced to use her diamond armour. It took a lot of her energy, but in return it made her entire body like a diamond. Now, she was in coma and showing no signs of waking up anytime soon. And that was after they gave her ambrosia and nectar.

The praetor gritted his teeth. Dakota and Reyna and Jason himself had come to her aid when they heard the scuffle on the Field of Mars. But by then the assailants were long gone. What Hazel was doing on the Field of Mars, Jason had no idea. But he would never forget the broken form lying on the ground. And her last minutes of consciousness had been taxing and set a lot of thoughts and actions in motion.

-Flashback start-

Jason knelt down beside Hazel. Only her eyes looked in his direction. "Jason… Please…"

Jason took her hand which clearly had been broken, but one look into Hazel's eyes told him she was in so intense pain that her brain was blocking the majority of it out. "Shhhh Hazel. Don't talk… save your strength… you are going to be alright."

Hazel smiled a pained smile before coughing up blood that Jason quickly removed with his cloak. "Silly… Jason. I'm a daughter of Pluto. I feel… my life force… leaving me." She coughed up more blood. "Jason… promise me… promise me…"

Jason grasped her hand even more tightly. "You are not going to die, Hazel Levesque. I will not allow it! Medic!"

Hazel tried shaking her head. "No good… Jason… promise me…"

Jason made to protest but Reyna cut in with a gentle voice. "What do you want Jason to promise you, Hazel?"

The daughter of Pluto coughed up more blood. "Promise me… find my brother… Nico. Tell him… that I'm sorry… for always being a burden. He no… longer… has to… protect me."

Jason frowned. "Hazel… I know you love your brother… but he has never protected you. He is not a warrior."

Hazel managed a weak smile. "You… have… never seen… Nico… fight, Jason. He always… has a plan… and a new trick… up his sleeve. He is… more powerful… than I."

Jason was baffled but he only thirteen words came out. "I promise I will find Nico, Hazel. I swear it on my honour."

-End flashback-

Hazel lost consciousness after that, but her revelation, if it was true, had come as quite the shocker to Jason. Hazel was one of the most powerful demigods of Camp Jupiter. And if Nico really was more powerful than she was…it had left Jason and Reyna wondering exactly how powerful Nico was.

And his power was not their only concern. Over the last six months, Reyna, Octavian and Jason had grown more and more suspicious of Nico. They remembered him showing up with Hazel some years ago, demanding of them to take her in. Then he just vanished, making them wonder about his origin. And as time passed, they also got suspicious of how much he knew. Jason hadn't really paid attention to it before now, but every time the Senate House planned a quest or mission to New York, the Ambassador of Pluto would appear with a far more pressing matter somewhere at least 100 miles from New York.

However, they had never questioned Nico further. Mostly because whenever Nico was in the Senate, so were Aurum and Argentum, Reyna's pet automatons. And not a single time had they given any indication that Nico was lying. So either he was always telling the truth; or he had bewitched them or he was simply an excellent liar.

Whatever the reason, Octavian had demanded they got some answers from him. And Jason would, but first he would keep his promise to Hazel. The son of Jupiter looked at his companions. Frank had been devastated when he learned of his girlfriend's condition. But his sorrow had soon turned to anger and he had demanded of Jason to bring him on the mission. Mariana and Marcus were on the team because they were excellent trackers and Mariana was healer too. Jason turned his gaze towards Arion.

It was mystery to all of Camp Jupiter where the horse had come from, but it was common knowledge that no one but Hazel could ride him. Arion was currently munching on some gold they had brought for the sole purpose of sustaining him. The stallion had at first adamantly refused to let them near him, much less allow them to set him before the modified chariot. However, once he heard what happened to Hazel, he was more than willing to help.

Jason leaned back, a frown creasing his face. Octavian had been more than a bit supportive of their mission. And as much Jason hated to admit it, it seemed that the Augur had been right in his claims concerning the existence of Greek demigods. Frank confirmed that the bronze dagger and sword they found was of Greek design. But that was not all they had found once daylight came. They had also found an arrow and a knife made of silver, a business card saying 'Hunters of Artemis' and a torn orange t-shirt saying 'Camp'. All of it had obviously been left by Hazel's attackers as they fled, but it gave them enough to go by.

Octavian had consulted his auguries and had found out that the weapons and t-shirt came from somewhere in New York while Nico was on some castle in Scotland. Dakota had taken some demigods with him and was doing some reconnaissance in New York City. And they had troops on standby, should Dakota call for back-up.

The son of Jupiter scowled. Octavian had urged the Senate to send Jason on the quest to find Nico. Never mind Jason wanted to go in the first place, but Octavian had gone out of his way to help them along. He even gave him a big magic jar filled with water from The Little Tiber, claiming that it would help him against the enemy's leader.

Jason opened his eyes. He was going to find Nico and show to him the weapons they found after, the business card and orange t-shirt. It would be interesting to see how his reaction. And then Jason was going to get some answers, one way or the other. He didn't know what answers Nico would give, but he knew one thing: When they showed up, Nico was not going to be happy.

End chapter five.

AN: Whew. This chapter was harder to write than I thought it would be. Especially the flying scene. But all in all, I'm happy with it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Wow. I can't believe my eyes. Over 100 reviews and favs and almost 200 follows? :O :O I'm truly honoured. I would never have dreamed that this fic would become this popular. I'm deeply humbled. I would like to thank those who have put me on their follow and favourite author list. Now, here is the next chapter of 'Dark Phoenix.' **

Chapter 6: The DA: The Dangerous Acquaintances.

The thing about demigod dreams? They suck. _The marvellous double doors slammed wide open, and the fire in the braziers seemed to dim as a wave of darkness washed over the room, causing twelve heads to turn in the direction of the doors. A man's amused chuckle broke the silence. _

"_Well, well. Look who we got here. Old Corpse Breath." _

_Another voice, this one filled with anger, bellowed. "Hades! What is the meaning of this!? You…" _

_Hades just snarled. "Can it, little brother, and listen. I know it is a different and new experience to you, but you would do well to hear me out." He glanced at Ares. "And kids should stay quiet while grown-ups talk."_

_Both Ares and Zeus opened their mouths to protest, but Poseidon stood. "Peace, Ares and Zeus. I doubt Hades would have bothered coming here if it was not important." The sea god turned towards the Lord of the Underworld. "Hades, brother. What brings you to Olympus?"_

_Hades turned his gaze towards Poseidon for a brief second, before addressing the Olympians. "I come before you for one simple reason: Justice." _

_Athena cocked an eyebrow. "Justice? For what uncle?_

_Hades' eyes darkened. "For the attack on my demigod son. My son was attacked in the middle of the night in Camp Half-Blood and the cabin for my children was burned to the ground. I want to know who of you ordered your children, or some others of the campers to attack my son." _

_The reaction of the other gods came instantly. All of them sprang to their feet. Percy was surprised the room didn't blow apart because of the power suddenly released. _

_The air sparkled with electricity and Zeus' Master Bolt appeared in his hand "How dare you accuse us!"_

_Hades eyes flared with black flames as his Helm of Darkness appeared. "And why should I not, brother? You have already tried killing him once, alongside his sister, seventy years ago!" _

_Poseidon stepped in between, trident drawn. "Be that as it might, Hades, you have not exactly behaved exemplary in regards to our children either. First you send a horde of monsters after Thalia; then you kidnap Sally and threaten my son." _

_Hades let out a growl. "And why shouldn't I? I don't remember you coming to me and offering your condolences after Maria died, Poseidon. Nor did you offer me your aid. As in regards to threatening our now immortal niece and your upstart of a son: Can one blame me for losing my temper when I discover that both of you sired more demigod children after the three of us vowed not to? You, Poseidon, are just as much as a suspect Zeus and the others." _

_Poseidon narrowed his eyes. "Are you accusing me and my son? It might have escaped your notice, brother, but my son and his friends have reached the United Kingdom." _

_Hades let out a small snarl. "Oh, I'm aware, little brother. Your whelp volunteered himself. But that does not mean you and your son are above suspicion. Tell me, Poseidon, what guarantee do I have that you didn't order some of the other godlings to carry out the attack in order to deflect the suspicion away from your son and yourself?"_

_The three brothers were drawing closer to each other. Hera spoke up. "Brothers, please, calm yourselves." _

_Athena was next. "Hades, you mentioned the United Kingdom? What makes you believe your son is there? And if your son was in the cabin during the attack, what makes you think he survived? And lastly, why aren't you accusing the rest of us to the same degree as your brothers?" _

_The black fire flared dangerously. "Because I would know if my son's spirit had entered my realm, Athena. As to why I think he is in Great Britain; let's just say I have my ways. And why my prime suspects are my brothers; I thought you were the goddess of wisdom, dear niece. With the exception of my brothers, you and the others are no match for me." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Though, of course someone might have forgotten that fact. But I promise you this: I will get to the bottom of this." _

_Poseidon drew closer. "Are you threatening us, brother?" _

_The three brothers were within striking range. Hades let out a hiss. "No… just warning you. For too long I have put up with a lot of things from you two. But this was the last straw. If my son is not found by the winter solstice, there will be war. And I will have every demigod out there hunted down and killed!" _

_It happened with blinding speed. Poseidon struck with his trident, but Hades moved to intercept with his sword just as Zeus's Master Bolt flashed. The three weapons hit each other at the same time, and an explosion shook the throne room, blinding and deafening Percy. _

_When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer on Mount Olympus. Instead, he found himself in a dark room, candles being the only source of light. An eerie voice rang out. "This is unexpected."_

_Percy zoomed in on the source of the voice. It was definitely male, and yet it was somewhat inhuman, sending chills down Percy's spine. The voice came from a person sitting in a chair, but a hood obscured the guy's features._

_Another voice answered from the shadows, this one a woman's voice, and Percy was sure he had heard it before. "You failed me. The boy survived."_

_The person on the chair hissed. "I did not fail you. If the boy survived, it is because of your handpicked soldiers' incompetence. Maybe they simply underestimated their foe. I gave them the measures to summon the creatures, just like I promised. I never promised I would kill the boy in person. That was never part of the bargain, witch." _

_The woman snarled. "Your insolence is unbearable. Be glad that I cannot touch you. But no matter. If I give you the means to summon a creature of unfathomable power, will you kill Nico di Angelo?" _

_The man seemed to be mulling it over. "But of course. I always keep my promises. But why are you so intent on the boy's destruction? What is special about him?" _

_The woman was silent for a minute before speaking. "That is not of your concern. Let's just say that for too long, he has been a thorn in my side. For too long he has hindered my plans." A potent silence filled the air. "Just like a boy you wish to see destroyed." _

_There was a shift in the atmosphere, and the man spoke with ice in his voice. "Harry Potter will fall by my hand. But do not forget of our agreement, witch. In return of aiding you in killing this di Angelo, I want something in return." _

_The woman let out derisive snort. "And you shall get it... the moment Nico di Angelo no longer draws breath. Kill the boy, and I shall provide you with what you seek. But first… kill the boy." _

_Percy felt the air shift and he assumed the woman in the shadows had left. He turned his gaze towards the guy on the chair. The man's anger was palpable when he spoke. "I will kill this Nico di Angelo, and obtain what I seek. Lord Voldemort always keeps his word, Harry Potter." _

_The stranger opened his eyes and Percy was blasted away by a pair of red eyes with slits for pupils._

_00000_

Harry woke with a start. He had once again been dreaming about what Voldemort was up to. Most of it was foggy but, he had made a startling discovery: Voldemort had a new ally, a woman no less, and from the sounds of it, she wanted Harry dead as well. Harry frowned. He couldn't really remember any woman that might want him dead. Umbridge perhaps, but the woman's voice was nothing like the DADA's professor and Harry doubted the pink-loving witch had the guts for murder, much less being in Lord Voldemort's presence.

Harry looked around the sleeping dorm. All of the other boys were sleeping soundly. Though, Nico's breathing was much more silent than the ones of the other boys. It was so quiet that if it wasn't for the extra bed, no one would think that the new boy was sleeping in their dorm.

The young Gryffindor frowned. Unlike the rest of them, Nico slept only in his boxers. And before going to bed, Harry had noticed the two snake tattoos in the other boy's palms. He was sure they had not been there when Nico made his entrance, but Nico had said they were but Harry probably hadn't noticed during the turmoil that evening. Harry supposed it was possible, but still. With a sigh, he looked at his watch. It was three in the morning. Heaving another great sigh, knowing that sleep wouldn't come easily, Harry found a piece of parchment and started writing a letter to Sirius.

00000

"Can someone please describe the energy exchange formula when transfiguring one substance to another?" Professor McGonagall's sharp eyes swept over her class before settling on Hermione whose hand was in the air. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

They were in Transfiguration class, and, true to her word, the subject had become much harder once he joined class. Today's subject was how much energy was needed during transfiguration. It could be everything from glass to steel or feathers to scales. Nico looked around. If the faces around him were anything to go by, none of the other students had any idea of how to describe the energy exchange under transfiguration. Or rather, they might have an idea of how it worked but only wanted to speak up if they were one-hundred percent correct, like Harry or Ron. Some of them seemed jealous that Hermione was called to answer the question, others seemed grateful they didn't have to answer the question. Some, like Malfoy, seemed spiteful but the big shocker was Neville.

Nico tilted his head slightly. Something didn't seem quite right with the boy. He had seen him in Herbology. Neville's knowledge of and care for plants would have made the children of Demeter envious and endeared him to Persephone. However, what surprised Nico was the expression on Neville's face. The way the boy looked at Hermione prepared to answer the question. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes never left his the witch. Nico had seen looks like that before… frustration, regret, wistfulness all mixed into one.

The son of Hades was left with two conclusions, and both seemed likely. Either the Herbology prodigy was crushing heavily on Hermione or b) the boy knew the answer, but lacked the self-confidence to speak up. Shrugging, seeing how it wasn't really his business, Nico redirected his focus, just in time to hear Hermione's answer.

"The energy exchange formula when transfiguring one substance to another is: Transfiguring Energy = Energy expelled by the caster + energy from wand + (Difference in object density/object heat difference)"

McGonagall smiled. "A good answer Miss Granger, ten point for Gryffindor. However, you missed a few vital points. Would anyone like to… yes, Mr di Angelo?"

Harry turned, feeling utterly gobsmacked. This was the first time in their five years that Hermione hadn't been awarded full points for an answer, or in short, hadn't gotten the answer textbook right. Or at least when it was any other teacher than Snape.

Nico smiled. "The formula is: Transfiguring Energy= Energy expelled by the caster + energy from wand + (Difference in object density/object heat difference) + Confinement Energy. The Confinement energy is automatically created around the object when the spell is cast. Its purpose is to minimize the energy needed and to stop the surroundings' energies and heat from interfering with the transfiguration, but also to contain the energy for and from the transfiguration. And though it is not part of the formula, one also has to take into account the loss of energy as the spell leaves the wand to the desired object, and the how the surrounding's temperature affect the loss of energy. This is especially vital when conducting transfigurations on yourself or other humans."

Harry was utterly flabbergasted. He had no idea what the hell Nico was talking about. Looking around, he saw that he was far from the only one. Only Hermione seemed to be following what the exchange student was saying, and that was barely.

Professor McGonagall blinked. "That… is absolutely correct, Mr di Angelo. Twenty points to Gryffindor. Now…"

The lesson continued without Nico doing anything extraordinary. Well, he did complete his work a few minutes faster than Hermione, but nothing aside from that. Throughout the lesson he noticed the glances the other students kept sending him. Some were mixes of resent, some confusion, and others, much to Nico's shock, were ones of admiration, especially from the girls. The class came to an end and Nico and Hermione were the only ones who didn't get homework assigned. Nico packed his things in his bag and headed for the door when a voice stopped him.

"Mr di Angelo, a moment please."

Turning around, ignoring the glances sent his way, the son of Hades walked to Professor McGonagall. "Yes Professor McGonagall?"

The Transfiguration teacher smiled. "Don't worry, Mr di Angelo, you are not in any kind of trouble." Nico raised an eyebrow in an inquisitive way, and the professor continued. "I must admit you have surprised and impressed me greatly in this class. The Energy Exchange Formula is among the most complicated on Fifth Year level, bordering on N.E.W.T. level." A confused look was all she got. "N.E.W.T.s is the level the students take when they graduate." She tilted her head. "How old are you, Mr di Angelo?"

Nico nodded taking it all in. "Thank you Professor McGonagall. And I'm fifteen."

The head of Gryffindor House smiled. "You are welcome. It has been many years since I've met a fifteen-years-old that understood the Energy Exchange Formula on your level. The last one student I remember is former Professor Remus Lupin, and his two friends, James Potter and Sirius Black."

Nico's head snapped up. "James Potter? Harry's dad?"

Minerva McGonagall nodded, sadness taking hold in her eyes. "Yes. James Potter and Lily Potter. They are dead now. It's not my place to tell you that though."

Nico nodded. He could respect that. "Was there anything else, Professor McGonagall?"

The Professor nodded. "Just one thing, Mr di Angelo. I would like to know where you go to school. It must be a quite special school for you to have attained your knowledge and level of Transfiguration."

The Ghost King tensed slightly. He knew it would come up sooner or later. Lying was not an option. Way too complicated to remember them all. So he decided for a half-truth.

"I go to a school for troubled wizards and witches. During the summer vacation, we go through an intense program to help us. Otherwise we go to our normal schools. There are those though, such as myself, that stay there all year round because we have, eh, strong learning disabilities and problems among other people."

Well, that was more or the less the truth. Nico and Percy others could barely set foot in a big city and stay there for long before some monster sniffed them out. Percy got a visit by some monster every second week on the college's campus. Of course, once the monsters, at least the ones with a thinking mind, discovered who he was, they hightailed as far away from Percy they could get. Nico wasn't that lucky. He would never forget getting chased through New York's subway by an angry hydra that didn't seem to take a hint. That Nico rarely stayed at Camp Half-Blood for long was a different matter entirely. He let out a small sigh.

"As for my knowledge of Transfiguration: I'm self-taught. There is really no one on my school that can help me. Nor is there many who want to."

The last part was said with a lot of bitterness, something the Head of Gryffindor picked up on immediately. Straightening up, she looked at the teen with great pride in eyes. "Well, in that case, I award you five points for extreme diligence. Know this Nico, if there is anything I can do to help, I'm here for you." She looked at the clock. "You better get going. We wouldn't want you to be late, now would we?"

Nico looked at the teacher for a moment before a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Thank you Professor. It means a lot to me."

With that he walked away, wondering what the slight churning in his chest meant. Then he realized it was happiness. He was getting accepted here on Hogwarts and he was starting to make friends. Also, the praise he got from Professor McGonagall. It was rare he got praise for anything he did. When developing new tricks and learning to harness his powers, few could follow him intellectually and those few that could told him to stop before he got too far. And while that was not necessarily a bad thing, he would want a friendly smile or congratulation for his progress, just what he just received from the Transfiguration teacher. He smiled to himself. Hogwarts was starting to feel like a home where he would stay.

McGonagall watched Nico di Angelo walking out the door and down the corridor. He was one of the most gifted kids she had ever met, at least when it came to Transfiguration, but also a very troubled young man. She had heard the bitterness in his voice and seen it in his eyes along with the yearning to be accepted that she couldn't help but feel protective of him. She hadn't known him for long, but she was already starting to consider him one of her Gryffindors. And as one of her Gryffindors, she would do everything in her power to help him. And along with her verbal vow to help him should he need, she also vowed, if only to herself, that she would have a chat with the children on Nico's school should the opportunity ever present itself. With that in mind, she returned to her desk for the next lesson.

00000

"Mr di Angelo." Snape sneered. "You're late. Five points from Gryffindor."

Nico glanced at the clock. He was late. With about one minute. "Sorry sir. Professor McGonagall wanted to speak with me."

Snape's sneer didn't drop and in a silky voice he spoke. "Regardless, Mr di Angelo, I will not accept tardiness. Make sure it does not happen again."

Nico scowled at Snape's back before taking his seat. Hermione leaned over. "Nico, where did you learn all that about energy in Transfiguration?"

Nico shrugged. "I'm self-taught and I experiment with spells now and then."

Hermione's mouth dropped open before she regained her composure. "What? You are self-taught? And experiment with spells? But that is far N.E.W.T level."

Nico smiled. "That is what McGonagall said. I don't know why, but Transfiguration has always been easy for me."

With that Nico turned back to attention as Snape started handing out their essays, oblivious to how Hermione was eyeing him. The Gryffindor girl's eyes were shining with something akin to admiration. She was slowly, but surely, falling for him. He was smart, knowledgeable and not that bad looking either. He seemed also kind enough, but at times, he seemed… cold. She looked at Nico again just as Snape gave the boy back his essay and she just managed a glimpse of his grade. E-. She looked at her own. An E. She tried getting a glimpse of what Harry got, but he packed it away before she could.

Snape walked up to his desk again. "I've awarded you with the mark you would have gotten if it had been written for your O.W.L.s exam." He turned around, a cruel smile on his lips and continued in his lazy drawl. "Your work was, in general, poor. Most of you would have failed if it had been your exams." His eyes flickered over the class, resting a bit on Harry before continuing. "I expect to see a much more diligent and energetic effort on your part for this week's assignment about antidotes… otherwise I will be forced to give out detentions to dunderheads who only scored a D."

They heard Malfoy snickered for all to hear. "Was there actually someone who scored a D? Ha!"

Hermione put a hand on Harry, silently pleading him not to say or do anything stupid, but she didn't have to. And if she hadn't been scowling at Draco, she would have missed it. It happened in the blink of an eye. Draco was rocking on his chair, but suddenly the chair's shadow seemed to rise a few centimetres and give the chair an extra pull backwards, causing it to tilt backwards. Draco let out a yelp as he and the chair crashed to the floor.

The Gryffindors laughed openly while some of the Slytherins snickered. "Quiet." The laughter and snicker died instantly at the sound of Snape's lazy voice. He turned his attention to Draco. "Mr Malfoy, what are you doing?"

Draco flushed bright red. "Sorry sir. It will not happen again."

Hermione had to refrain from snorting. Knowing Draco, he would probably start accusing any of the Gryffindors, but since he had no proof or any further indication of who it might have been, there was little he could do. She looked at Nico and saw the ghost of a smirk being replaced with an expression of confusion just as Snape's eyes settled on the new Gryffindor.

The rest of the class went without anything special happening. Snape was being his usual charming self, and they handed over their vials with their samples of Endurance Potions. However, Harry stopped in the door when he saw Nico lingering behind, standing in front of Snape's desk. Harry was about to call out to Nico to get him away, but Snape beat him to it.

Snape didn't even look up from his papers. "What is it, Mr di Angelo? I'm busy."

Harry suppressed a snort, but he couldn't help but let out a strangled gasp when he heard Nico's question. "Professor Snape, why do you act the way you do towards Harry? What has he done that could warrant such a behaviour.

Severus's head snapped up to glare at the brat. Locking black eyes with black eyes, Snape spoke with anger in his voice. "Are you questioning my way of teaching…"

Snape's eyes went wide as memories flew before his eyes. Memories of James Potter and Sirius Black humiliating him in Fifth Year, his love for Lily Evans, Black telling him how get past the Whomping Willow, meeting Lupin in werewolf form, Potter getting together with Lily, marrying her and having a son with her. 'What in the name of… why…' His eyes widened for the fraction of a second as he stared into the black eyes of Nico di Angelo as more memories started to surface. 'Don't tell me… this brat… is a Legilimens…'

Feeling more memories from younger years starting to show, Snape instantly blocked the memories and emotions from that time and held his gaze. Instantly he saw and felt memories, thoughts and emotions that were not his own, but they were jumbled and distorted as the foreigner obviously was trying to protect them.

A girl with black eyes and dark silky hair, lean and above average height. _Bianca._ His sister. Fondness, sorrow and image of boy with sea green eyes and black hair popped up. _Percy. _Anger, resentment, revenge and regret._ "You promised you would protect her." "Nico, I tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us" "You promised! I hate you!" "She is dead." "Go away! I hate you! I wish you were dead!" _ Fury and sorrow in their purest form. A wall of darkness blocked further memories, just like last time, but Snape pushed on. He managed a glimpse of a man with the same eyes as Nico, shoulder-length black hair and albino pale skin. Then Snape found himself face to faces with a gigantic ghost of a three headed Rottweiler that bared his teeth at him before baring down on him, effectively breaking the connection.

When Severus came back from his little 'trip', he had to catch his breath. For a second, he had felt those jaws tearing into his flesh. Ignoring the little bit of sweat on his forehead, he slowly got to his feet, maintaining eye-contact with Nico di Angelo all the way, keeping his mind barriers in place, just in case the little brat should try delving into his mind once again. But he got another small surprise when he noticed that Nico's eyes had gotten a tinge of red in them.

Taking no heed of Potter in the door, he swung his hand and the heavy door to the classroom slammed shut, right in front of Potter. Voice laced with anger, he grasped Nico by the collar. "How dare you invade my privacy like that, you little brat."

Nico's reply came promptly, voice cold as ice. "Same reason you saw it fit to invade my privacy in the last lesson, Professor Snape. I was curious."

Snape snarled. "Curiosity got the cat killed, Mr di Angelo."

Nico retorted. "Knowledge got the cat killed, but Curiosity got framed for the murder."

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Do not smart-mouth with me, di Angelo. I guarantee… you will not like the consequences if you do." With that Severus released his hold

Nico let out a humourless laugh. Glaring at Snape, refraining from massaging his slightly sore throat, anger seeped into the son of Hades' voice. "Perhaps. But at least you will have a good reason to hate and punish me, unlike how you do with Harry. You are a grown man hating, and punishing, a kid for the choices and sins committed by the father and his friend. That is just, to put it blankly, pathetic. It's immature. It is the act of a coward."

If eyes could kill, Nico would have been long gone. It took all Snape's willpower not to draw his wand and curse the boy. Eyes blazing and nostrils flaring, Severus' voice cut through the silent room like a hot knife through butter "I will not be talked to in this manner, Mr di Angelo. And you are hardly one to call people immature, di Angelo. I was not the one not to disrespect and dishonour my sister's sacrifice and seek revenge on a friend."

Nico's eyes widened and for moment, the room was wrapped in darkness. Severus instantly drew his wand and erected two shields. One two protect himself and one to protect the room from whatever curse or spell di Angelo was about to unleash. It never came. Instead, the door burst open and Severus saw the Potter boy frozen in place, looking at the hastily retreating form of Nico di Angelo, cloak billowing in his wake.

Severus' brow furrowed. Dumbledore could not brush this aside. It was one thing that di Angelo was an accomplished Occlumens, but that he was an accomplished Legilimens as well at the mere age of fifteen… Severus closed his eyes. He would not have believed it had he not experienced it first-hand. Umbrakinesis, Black Fire, Occlumency and now Legilimency as well. It made Severus wonder what else Nico di Angelo was capable of. One thing was certain though: He was more dangerous than he initially thought. He looked up again and saw that Potter was still there.

"Leave, Potter. There is nothing to see here."

Harry came out of his stupor. He had been curious about what had transpired behind the door once Snape closed it, but their voices had been so quiet he hadn't been able to hear anything. Next moment, the door bursts come open and Nico di Angelo storms out. Harry shivered. He had been about to touch the other boy's shoulder and ask him if he was alright but he frozen in mid-motion when he had seen black flames licking Nico's fingers. But even more so, it was the eyes that made him freeze. The usual black orbs of Nico di Angelo had a definite tinge of red in them, and his expression was that of one ready to blast the first that was stupid enough to anger him further. And contrary to popular belief, Harry did not have a death wish, so he let Nico pass. But he would definitely talk with Hermione and Ron about this. With that thought firmly in mind and hoping Nico wouldn't be there or blast some innocent guy, Harry made a run for Gryffindor Tower.

00000

Nico stormed up the staircases of the castle, his anger burning like raging a wildfire. He had wanted to demonstrate to Snape that the Professor was not the only able to delve into a person's mind. However, that plan had backfired quite a bit. He had underestimated the Professor's skill in regards of protecting his mind and penetrating other's. He might actually better in both than Nico. His defence was way more subtle than Nico's. It was because he had been tricked so many times in the past that he taught himself to delve into people's minds and memories and learned how to protect his own. And he had told himself to be careful around Snape, yet this happened!

The son of Hades cursed wildly. Because he had underestimated Snape's skill, he had given away some of his most painful memories and information to who he really was. And that was about the last thing he wanted to do. Especially if he wanted a fresh start. He was not naïve enough to think that he could simply forget all about Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, but Hogwarts and its inhabitants were, in the short amount of time he had been there, growing on him. It was starting to feel like… a home. A feeling and, dared he think it, possibility, he near threw out the window when he nearly lost control after Snape's last remark.

It especially hurt because of the truth in it. And because it hurt, Nico was filled with rage. Fury so intense that he had almost lost control. Even now, he could feel black hellfire curling around his fingertips, waiting and wanting to be released. He sorely needed to blow off some steam. The grounds wouldn't do. He needed somewhere hidden where curious eyes wouldn't see him. And if he set the Forbidden Forest ablaze he was sure to get unwanted attention, no matter how far he went. He had heard rumours of what kind of creatures inhabited the Forest of course, but that wouldn't be enough to deterrent him if he wanted to go doing some exploring. Monsters and creatures were part of his everyday life.

The urge to blast something was becoming unbearable as his frustrations rose. It was not getting any easier to control his growing ire when looking at the tapestry of some idiot trying to teach trolls ballet. But Nico knew that if he blasted that, he was likely to make a hole in the wall as well.

He paced. 'I need somewhere to let off some steam. Somewhere I can let go without anyone finding me.' He walked the other way. He also needed to re-forge his sword. Back in Camp Half-Blood, whenever he needed to get some frustrations out, he would visit Cabin Nine's forge. 'I could really need a forge as well.'

He turned back and jumped back in surprise. Where there had been nothing but a wall was now a heavy metal door. 'What in the name of Hades…' Looking to each side, he was relieved to find that he was still alone. And he couldn't detect anything in the shadows. Eyes narrowing, he focused more power into right hand, conjuring a fireball of black hellfire, ready to be released at any attacker. He opened the door and his mouth dropped to the floor, the black hellfire fading away.

He was staring at an Underworld landscape. Black rocks and trees stretched out before him with torches lit with green fire surrounding the walls. And somewhere he could hear water dripping into a big barrel or a vat. Nico stepped into the room and the door slammed shut with a reassuring bang. Nico smiled. This was just what he needed.

Summoning the black hellfire once more, he hurled the fireball at a rock that resembled a Cyclops, removing its 'head' like it had been cut off. A couple of trees looking like Scythian Dracanae were reduced to a pool of liquid while a rock hellhound look-alike was cleaved in two. A stone hydra got all of its heads blasted of before it was melted in a torrent of black hellfire. Panting slightly, Nico saw a rock formation that resembled a human. He looked at it for a few seconds. Then the image of Severus Snape flashed before his eyes and took the place of the stone formation. Narrowing his eyes, he focused his anger and the black hellfire. Then he let it out with a yell, the fire more concentrated than before, and when it hit, it burned a hole straight through the 'chest' of the stone formation.

Panting, the son of Hades looked around the room. Pretty much every stone and tree in the room bore marks of Nico's rampage. He could feel sweat running down his back. Then again, conjuring the amount of hellfire he that he had was ought to drain his energy. But he was calm again. Too bad he didn't have a forge, metals and tools nearby, for he could really use doing some blacksmith work right now.

Nico blinked. To the corner right for him was a fully equipped smithy. A forge, tools, a melting furnace, three huge iron tubs, workbenches, anvils. He looked around the room. He was completely alone. That should have comforted him, but it was really starting to freak him out. The room seemed, dared he say it, alive. And it seemed to be able to provide him with just about anything he needed and asked for. He figured it was too much to ask for to find out who attacked him, but his mind told him he could really need a glass of water. And sure enough. Right next to the smithy, a table appeared, and on it stood a jug filled with water and a glass. Still cautious, Nico walked over to the smithy.

Taking a glass of water, he started examining the tools and equipment. All of it was in top condition. However, the big shock was the three tubs. All three were square and big enough to fit a grown man. One was filled with boiling oil, providing a lot of heat. The one in the middle, to the immediate right of the first, was filled with dark water and the smell was oddly familiar. The last one, right next to the one filled with the dark water, was filled with glowing coal and ash.

Nico narrowed his eyes. He had asked for a forge, yes, but this was starting to creep him out. This forge was more or less like the forges down in the Underworld. He put his left hand on the tubs and removed it again. The son of Hades put it near his nose and sniffed.

'Sulphur… soot… and it feels like granite and basalt and iron.' Nico stared at the tubs in amazement. 'Impossible. Those tubs are made just like the ones in my father's forges. I wonder…' He picked a pair of tongs and picked up one of the smouldering coals. Bringing it up to eye-level, he examined it closer. His eyes widened. 'Di immortals. These are coals and ashes from the River of Fire, Phlegethon.' He put the coal piece back and inspected the third basin. 'If I'm right…' He pulled out a wizard bronze coin Harry had given him and tossed it into the water. It instantly disintegrated. 'Just as I thought. Water from the River Styx itself.'

The son of Hades could only look on the three basins in reverence. The four founders might have been demigods, but that did lessen his shock. Somehow, this room was had some sort of consciousness and would provide the user with what he or she needed. And somehow, it managed to make a small replica of an Underworld forge. Of course, most forges were located where Phlegethon and Styx were closest to each other. Phlegethon to temper the iron and the Styx to cool it, making it indestructible. Nico frowned. Stygian Iron was supposed to be indestructible, yet Umbridge had managed to do so. Of course, because of it was supposed to be indestructible, Nico might have neglected it by not doing maintenance work but sharpening of the blade. Then again, he had never really felt comfortable with a sword. It was a good weapon of course, and as a son of one of the Big Three, he needed a weapon on regular basis. He was one of the best swordsmen back at Camp Half-Blood thanks to Percy, but the sword never felt like it was an extension of him like it did to Percy. So for the last nine months, he had worked on designing his own weapon and forging it. He had even enlisted the help of Leo Valdez.

However, the two of them had been unable to make the weapon. To do it, they would need to melt the Stygian blade. But that was the problem. Only Black hellfire or the flames of Phlegethon was hot enough to heat the magical iron. And while Nico could create the hellfire, he could not maintain the torrent needed to keep the iron hot and keep it under control at the same time. And Leo could not control the hellfire as it was not regular fire. The last time they tried, they almost blew up Cabin Nine. And he dared not bring his friend with him to the Underworld and work there. It would only attract too much attention.

Nico looked at his hands, inspecting them. His sword, or rather his destroyed sword, was hidden as two snake tattoos. At its current state, his sword would be of no use to him in a fight. But maybe, just maybe, he could reuse it. It was a chance he would have to take.

He looked at the tattoos again, and his got a look of determination and when he spoke, it was like hearing a serpent hiss. "_Reveal your true nature._"

The 'tattoos' started smoking before rising from his skin in the form of shadows. And just like that, he was once more holding the remains of his sword. With a sigh, he took the sword pieces in one hand and took off his cloak and shirt, standing topless in front of the basins. He focused for a minute before grapping a Stygian iron dipper and used it to scoop up some of the boiling oil. Then he poured it over the smouldering coals, and set the rest of it ablaze with black hellfire. Then, hoping he wasn't making a mistake, he set to work.

00000

The next two weeks passed in a blur for Nico. Aside from partaking in Quidditch training where Ron got chosen as Keeper, working on his new weapon took up a lot of time. He had also told the ghosts of the castle to carry on like nothing had changed, but they were not to mention his identity to anyone. Then there was a letter to Ron. Ron got a letter from his brother Percy, saying a lot of stuff about Harry, and to Nico's surprise, him. Something about him being dark and dangerous; the guy had no idea how right he was. Dolores Umbridge had been made High Inquisitor and had had several decrees passed; one of them stating that no student was allowed to speak up in class unless it directly pertained to the lesson. This had landed Harry in a lot of detentions. The DADA Professor most likely hoped to land Nico in detention as well, but the son of Hades had yet to rise to her bait. Harry had however, and the words, 'I must not tell lies' written on his hand had outraged his two friends and Nico. But for now, there was nothing the son of Hades could do about it.

Nico sighed as he pushed up his reading glasses. He was waiting up with Ron and Hermione for Harry to get back from his latest detention. Hermione had prepared a little bowl with something called Murtlap Essence that should soothe the pain in Harry's hand. But the son of Hades knew that was not the only reason they were waiting for Harry. Hermione said she had an idea and she wanted to tell them all once Harry got back. So now all they had to do was wait.

Luckily, Hogwarts' homework was very good at killing time. Nico both snorted and smiled internally. Who would have believed that he, powerful son of Hades, would end up enjoying something like homework?

His grades so far weren't too bad either. He excelled at Transfiguration with pure O's. In DADA he scored A, but most of the Gryffindors said that he might be on par with Harry. In Ancient Runes he scored E and in Potions it varied between A to E-. Though, after his little, eh, exchange with Severus Snape, his grades in that subject had dropped. But something good had come of it: Snape mostly left him alone, and Nico wasn't about to change that by trying to invade his mind again. He scored An in Herbology and P-A in History of Magic while he just plain out sucked at Charms, scoring a P.

He smiled, remembering when he showed the three friends his grades. Hermione had told him he that if he could learn advanced Transfiguration by himself, Charms should be piece of cake. And if he wanted help, she would be happy to do so. But he just couldn't take the subject seriously.

Ron and Harry had smiled and told him that one couldn't be the best at everything. And with his varying grades, he had proved that he was just like them: Study, but not too hard. And that it was good to know he was human.

Shaking his head, Nico focused on the Transfiguration essay in front of him. It wasn't even his own. He was reviewing it for one of the younger students, a second year if he was not mistaken, who had dared approach him with the request. Nico had been so baffled over the boy's courage that he immediately said yes, and he immediately wondered where this change in him was coming from. While he would help his friends, he was not the guy people who didn't know him came to for help; nor was he one to help people he didn't know. So why this change? He pondered this, not for the first time, as he wrote a little note in the essay. This kid, Dennis Creevey, had some serious Transfiguration potential.

He was pulled from his musing and reviewing when the portrait hole swung open and in came Harry, his hand bleeding enough to saturate the scarf he had wrapped around his hand. Nico clenched his teeth in anger. The no-go idea of grabbing his unfinished weapon and smack the insufferable to Hades was getting more and more appealing by each day. Nico saw Harry submerge his hand in the substance and relief flooding the other boy's face. After that, Nico pretty much zoned out and resumed reviewing the youngest Creevey's essay, though he did manage to catch the name Lupin and order. But since he didn't have the context, he couldn't really use it.

He was pulled back to the conversation, rather abruptly, when Hermione said: "I was thinking that you could be our teacher in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Nico looked up, eyes slightly narrowed behind his glasses. Say what? He saw Harry staring at Hermione with utter bafflement. But if he hoped for support from Ron, he was in for a surprise.

"You know, that might be an idea."

Harry looked at Ron. "What is an idea?"

Ron smiled. "You are. You could teach us how."

Harry started to laugh. It would appear that his two friends had agreed to kid him. "But I'm no teacher, I can't…"

He was cut off by Hermione. "Harry, you're the best in our year in Defence Against the Dark Arts." She looked at Nico. "No offence."

The son of Hades just shrugged. However, by addressing him, Harry got new ammo. "But I'm not. Nico is better than me. And so are you, Hermione. You have bested me in every test."

Hermione shook her head, and her voice was calm. "No, Harry, I haven't. You was better than me in third year- the only year we both took the exam and had a teacher who actually knew what he was doing. But I'm not talking exam results, Harry. Think about what you've accomplished!"

Harry frowned. "What I've accomplished?"

Nico was following with rapt attention now. This was most interesting news. "Honestly, I'm not sure I want to be taught by someone that stupid." Ron said to Hermione, and Nico had to suppress a smile when the redhead started impersonating Goyle. "Let's think for a moment. Uhm, first year: You saved the Philosopher's Stone from falling into the hands of You-Know-Who."

"But that was pure luck. It wasn't skill." He looked at Nico. "Unlike what you did when you first arrived."

Nico shook his head. "That was just instinct. It wasn't skill."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Ron interrupted. "Well, it was still bloody wicked." He turned to Harry again. "Second year, you killed the Basilisk and finished off Riddle."

Nico felt his eyes widen. Killing a Basilisk? That was indeed an impressive feat.

"Yeah, but if Fawkes hadn't showed up, I would be…"

"Third school year," Ron cut off his best friend yet again, and Nico noticed, with more volume. "You put over one-hundred Dementors on the run with a one spell."

Nico frowned. Dementors? It sounded strangely familiar, but at the moment, his tired brain couldn't quite place it. Harry's response however, was more intriguing.

"But that was pure luck. If we hadn't had the Time-Turner…"

"Last year," Ron continued, shouting now. "You beat back You-Know-Who yet again…"

From there on things seemed to escalate, but it ended with Harry shouting at them and Hermione pleading to him.

"But please, won't you at least think about it? Please?"

Harry looked at Nico. He was already feeling guilty for his outburst. "Nico? What do you think?"

Nico sighed and removed his glasses. Rubbing his tired eyes, he looked at Harry. "I think it is your call, Harry. And you are right: Classes don't teach you how to react when your friends die. And you are also right in saying that in life and death situation, your best protection against death is your instincts and your ability to keep calm when facing death. However, I think you missed something vital: If people don't learn to listen to their instincts in a battle, and learn to keep calm, what chance do they have, even if they know all the spells in the world?" He sighed. "Learning the spells is only the first step. Then comes learning how to use them when your life might depends on it. On my school, the elder students teach the younger ones how to defend themselves, bolter their confidence and patterns. They can only teach out from their own experience, but sometimes, that means the whole difference." He looked Harry in the eyes, his eye hardening. "As I said, it is your call. But you said they don't know what it is like to face Voldemort. You're right, they don't. They have never been in a fight. You have, however. If you don't teach them, who will? The teachers' hands are tied because of Umbridge, and getting someone from the outside to teach is probably going to be problematic. That pretty much leaves only you… from the sounds of it."

Harry stared at Nico for half a minute before responding. "If you know so much about fighting, why don't you teach then?"

Nico met Harry's stare. "Because I do not fight the same way you do. I've yet to learn your ways of duelling."

Their staring contest might have continued, but just then Ron spoke up, having looked out of the windows. "Looks like Umbridge are going to have visitors."

He had barely said those words before the portrait hole opened and in came Fred and George. Fred spoke first. "Looks like old Umbridge…"

Fred continued. "Is about to have visitors from the Ministry. Their names are…"

George picked up. "Jason Grace, Frank Zhang, Marcus Johnson and Mariana Delvin. They are nearing the Wooden Bridge…"

Fred ended the conversation. "According to the map. Thanks again for letting us borrow it Harry."

Then they saw the three friends' widened eyes and pale faces, and they realized they had said too much. In perfect sync they spoke. "Oops."

Harry couldn't believe the twins had just talked so freely about the Marauder's Map. And in front of Nico, of all people. That was one secret they hadn't let him in on They would need to come up with a believable lie to cover the twins' mistake. He turned towards Nico.

"Nico, listen…" He blinked. Nico was nowhere in sight. "Where did he go?"

00000

Nico stormed down the corridors, cloak billowing behind him, hood covering his face. Those four names had blasted everything else out of his mind. Forget about telling Malfoy about that little idea of Hermione's and that map the twins had talked about. Nico suddenly had far more pressing concerns.

Four Roman demigods on Hogwarts. Nico was mulling over the possibilities. Had they discovered who he really was? Had they discovered Camp Half-Blood? No, then Jason wouldn't be here. It had to be important for one of the praetors to come in person. Most likely they had found out he was a Greek demigod and wanted him in for questioning. He sped up. He needed his weapon, even if it was unfinished. Reaching his secret forge, he walked back and forth three times, thinking: 'I need my weapon. Just my weapon.'

He had figured out how the room worked, and it did not disappoint. Instead of opening up to his forge, it revealed itself as a mere cupboard, presenting the son of Hades' only one third completed. Grabbing and hiding his unfinished weapon, Nico quickly considered his options. Meet them in the castle or outside?

Inside the walls, he would most definitely have the advantage, but if this business, whatever it was, came to a fight, and it was likely if they indeed came to bring him for a questioning seeing how he had no intention of coming quietly, the population of Hogwarts might discover his true origin or get caught in the crossfire. Nothing of it was acceptable to Nico. He might be more vulnerable outside, but at least he could try and lure them away from the castle.

That thought firmly in mind, the son of Hades shadow-travelled to the Entrance Hall and strode out, contemplating who he probably was about to fight in a few minutes.

Jason Grace, the son of Jupiter, younger brother of Thalia Grace, Praetor of New Rome. Frank Zhang: son of Mars, descendant of Poseidon, master tactician and archer and Animagus extraordinary.

He frowned as hurried on, passing the greenhouses. Then there was the other two, Marcus and Mariana.

Mariana Delvin, a daughter of Apollo. Mariana was fourteen years old, a member of the Third Cohort. Joined Camp Jupiter two years ago and she was firm supporter of Octavian. Skilled at tracking, a master archer and the most gifted demigod healer Nico had ever come across. She was not much of a frontline fighter, but her abilities were not to be taken lightly. If an ally came within fifteen feet, small cuts and injuries would start healing by themselves if she so wished. She would have to touch you to heal more severe wounds, but it didn't cost her much energy. And if an enemy got within ten feet of her, she had the power to bring him down with acute induced fewer. That was not what made her presence in a fight dangerous. No, as long her allies were within nine ten feet of her, she could replenish their energy as long she had some herself, making them virtually able to go on forever because the act didn't seem to drain her that much.

He sighed inside his head. No doubt he knew more about the more powerful campers of Camp Jupiter than he should and they would like, but he had pretty much made a profile on all the campers in both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Just in case it came to a war between the two camps, he was likely to be asked to be a spy for both sides them.

He hurried on, the bridge in sight. Then there was the last member of the four man team Camp Jupiter had put together.

Marcus Johnson, son of Vulcan. He was thirteen years old, a member of the Second Cohort and joined Camp Jupiter three years ago. He had been trained by Reyna and Octavian and was an expert in tracking. The boy was pretty much the Roman version of Leo. Only difference in their Pyrokinetic ability was that Marcus could not create fire at will. He was also not quite the mechanic genius Leo was. He was, however, a better blacksmith when it came to crafting weapons. Nico remembered, for he had briefly considered enlisting the prodigy's aid in making his new weapon, but Marcus was a firm supporter of Octavian and was sure to tell the augur. And the last thing the son of Hades was to have Octavian sniffing around. More than he already did, in any case.

The Ghost King bit his lip. There was one thing more that worried him when it came to the son of Vulcan. According to rumours, or at least the ones Hazel told him, Marcus had never been wounded during his time in Camp Jupiter. He always returned from quests without any injuries and he been the first over the walls in 'Siege' ten times, and had never gotten as much as a scratch.

Nico sighed as he crossed the Covered, or Wooden Bridge, and entered the Stone Circle, Hogwarts's huge sundial. With those three powerhouses and one superb support warrior coming his way, he better come up with a strategy or he was toast. He briefly wondered how they tracked him here, but he figured he would get an answer to that soon enough. He pushed those thoughts aside as four people wearing cloaks and hoods entered the circle of rocks. He tensed as he saw Jason Grace's sky blue eyes stared straight into his own black orbs.

What none of the five people knew, however, was that they were not alone. Someone had followed Nico di Angelo, without him realizing it.

End chapter 6

AN: Whew. This chapter is so far the longest chapter in 'Dark Phoenix.' And also the most challenging to write. Especially the Transfiguration and Potions classes. And I'm not entirely happy about the talk in Gryffindor Tower. Might rewrite that part later. Also, be warned, there is a risk that I'm going to mess a little with the 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' timeline so that some things might occur earlier/later than they did in the book and movie. Hope you enjoyed.

Now on to the anonymous reviewers:

anon 11/3/12. chapter 5:

Sorry, won't say that. You will just have to follow the story. Though I will be giving small hints along the way. Thank you for taking your time to read and review. Yours sincerely, Lightningscar

hi 11/5/12. chapter 5

Heh, did just update now. But I have no idea when Jason's group will meet Percy's. Or rather, I have the scene set for it, but don't know in which chapter it will happen. Thank you for taking your time to read and review. Yours sincerely, Lightningscar

Awesome name 12/21/12 . chapter 5

Glad you enjoyed Nico flying. I thought it was time for something new. To answer your question: No, Hazel is not dead. She is in coma. I have yet to decide whether or not I kill her off. Yours sincerely, Lightningscar

dan jade 12/29/12 . chapter 1

Glad you enjoy the plot so far. Hope you will stay tuned for more. Thank you for taking your time to read and review. Yours sincerely, Lightningscar.

19


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Bond of Friendship

The cold wind whipped around them, and Nico could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance, even as the moon shone above them. It was only a matter of time before it would be hidden by the storm clouds. But with a clearly tense Jason Grace present, it was a wonder it wasn't a hurricane. Whatever the cause, Nico was grateful for the Hogwarts cloak. He looked at the four Roman demigods in front of him. If their build was anything to go by, then Jason was in front, Frank on his right and a little behind him while Marcus took up the position on his left and a little behind as well and lastly Mariana took the rear.

"Hello, Jason. And good evening to the three of you as well, Frank Zhang, Marcus Johnson and Mariana Delvin. What brings four of the Legions best so far from home and in battle formation?"

Evidently the Roman demigods did not like being called out so early on their identities. Jason glanced to both his sides, making sure that any of the two other boys didn't make an advance prematurely. He had no idea how Nico knew where to find them so quickly, but it saved them for having to go to the castle and search for him. Then again, it was possible the son of Pluto had rigged the place with traps. Making sure his voice was collected, Jason addressed the younger boy.

"Good evening Ambassador. You must forgive us for already going into battle formation; it is many years of training kicking in. But given the circumstances, I found it best. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing in Scotland? It is pretty far away from Camp Jupiter. And what is this place anyway?"

Nico tensed slightly when Jason mentioned that given the circumstances he found it best to come in battle formation. To him it sounded like they suspected him. Glancing at the others, he replied evenly. "The castle behind us is a school. As for what I'm doing here… I fail to see how it concerns you. I didn't know of this place existence before arriving here by accident. And that was only a few weeks ago."

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say, because all of the Roman demigods tensed up even more. Most of all Frank and Marcus looked like springs ready to uncoil, and Nico subconsciously prepared to counterattack. Jason spoke in a curt voice.

"We need to talk, Nico di Angelo. Somewhere more enclosed. This place is too open."

Nico narrowed his eyes. He did not like where this was going. "Don't you trust me?"

The smaller frame of Marcus answered. "That is exactly what we are saying, ambassador. We have our orders. And frankly this place is too open for an ambush and that bridge is too easy to rig by traps. And you can forget everything about the forest and that castle."

The son of Hades' eyes narrowed to slits. He did not like being talked to that way, especially not by an upstart, no matter how powerful. "Watch your tongue, Marcus Johnson." Then he smirked. "But I can't deny the logic behind your reasoning; Reyna and Octavian taught you well. In that case, meet me on the Quidditch Pitch, the arena, in one minute. I will be waiting for you."

With that he turned around to face one of the stones and walked straight into its dark surface, instantly disappearing. Jason scowled. He had seen what resembled an arena on their way here, but to get there in one minute was not possible on foot. But they needed to keep Nico in one place, lest they risk him disappearing again. For if he did, they were not likely to find him. Besides, if he was true to his word and waited for them there, it was good for his case once they got him back to New Rome. And if they couldn't get there by foot, they would just have to fly.

"Frank… you take Marcus. Mariana, with me."

The largest of them nodded before transforming into a dragon that grabbed the youngest in the group while Jason picked up the bridal-style before they took off. None of them noticed the pale face peeking around the door opening to the bridge. The person hesitated for moment, before running towards the Quidditch pitch.

00000

Jason and his friends landed safely on the green turf, illuminated by torches and braziers, wondering what the six hoops were for. This was clearly the court for some type of sport, but what game that could possibly warrant hoops to be so high above ground, Jason had no idea. And while the stadium with its bleachers and stands was quite impressive, they had far more concerning matters to deal with.

One of said matters was looking at them in obvious amusement, the hood pushed down. "So, you made it. You said you wanted to talk with me, Jason, but first, I have a question for you: How did you track me? We are far away from the States after all."

Jason pushed down his hood as well, relieved to be out of the biting cold wind. He gave Nico a look, before whistling. A few minutes was spent in silence, then a bird shrieked overhead. Looking up, the son of Hades watched a big bird descending before landing on Jason's shoulder. The son of Jupiter petted it a few times before it flew off again.

"Giant eagles have a very keen sense of smell. Mind you, that one is still just a youngling, but it can still sniff out a demigod better than most monsters."

Marcus pushed down his hood, revealing unruly black hair and brown eyes. "Also, Octavian did some auguries to learn about your whereabouts. You see, he has been suspicious of you for some time now."

Nico narrowed his gaze at the younger boy, if only for the fraction of a second. Marcus was thirteen, but he was quite tall for his age and muscular from all his work in the forges and combat training. Mariana lowered her hood as well, revealing her braided light-brown hair in a long ponytail and her warm green-blue eyes.

"Octavian has long wondered where you come from. Apparently you showed up with your sister and then vanished again. Also, I've seen you in the Senate. Every time we are about to go on a mission to New York, you show up with a problem that need our full attention. Funny thing is, no one has heard of the monster causing problems before you show up. You disappear for months, show up with a problem and then vanish again."

Nico rolled his eyes, ignoring the fact that Mariana made some points. The truth was that it was him who intentionally had created some of the problems Camp Jupiter had to deal with. Not all of them mind you, but he was behind that incident in Kentucky with a town suddenly becoming infested with hellhounds and the five-headed hydra.

"Sounds to me Octavian have been running his mouth again, spreading rumours about me. As for me being the first to come to Camp, reporting the problems before you, sorry Jason, catch wind of it: That might be explained by the fact that I can travel from the West Coast to the East Coast in the blink of an eye. Wait, why am I even having this discussion with you? You are not a centurion."

It was a low blow, but it was effective. But they weren't done with the discussion yet as Frank pushed forward.

"Then why didn't you get your ass back to Camp when Hazel was attacked?"

The Ghost King's head swirled to meet the larger boy's gaze. "What?"

Jason tensed, shooting his teammates some warning look, hand grabbing Ivlivs. Now was the time things could get dangerous. "Nico, a couple of weeks ago, Hazel was attacked on the Field of Mars. We don't know who or why, but we have reason to believe they might have been… been Greek. Frank himself identified one of the weapons as being of Greek design, matching the descriptions given in the old records of rivalry between Greeks and Romans. The Legion is in uproar and Octavian has gotten new fuel for his theory about Greek demigods. And while I'm not happy to admit it, much seems to point in the direction of him being right. Nico di Angelo, answer me this: Do Greek demigods exist?"

Nico's mind was reeling in shock. Hazel had been attacked? By Greek demigods? It was impossible! He had heard nothing in Camp Half-Blood that would even suggest that the campers knew about Camp Jupiter. Nico suspected Chiron knew about it, but considering the guy had been alive for the last three thousand years or so, that was not so strange. But had he told them about their existence? No, it didn't add up. If Chiron had told the campers about the Romans, they would be in an uproar and ready for battle. Admittedly, he had been away from Camp for a few weeks, but him disappearing for weeks, or sometimes even months, was not uncommon and Percy made sure to try to IM'ing him; the son of Poseidon had nearly blown Nico's cover or even almost gotten him killed when feeling the need to put him up to date on events in Camp. The son of Hades had started wondering if Percy just had bad timing or if he on purpose made sure to contact him on the most inopportune of times.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. Closing his eyes, the son of Hades let the shadows guide his senses to Camp Jupiter, searching for her life aura. He had honed this skill of his ever since Rachel became the Oracle. In theory, as long as he was very familiar with the person, he could always track a person through their life aura. Of course, depending on how tired he was and the distance, the harder it was. The downside was that if he was not careful enough, he could end up shadow-travelling to said person without intending to do so, tiring him greatly. Of course, the only person he had ever tried it on was Hazel. He probably could with Percy as well, but Nico had never really gotten to become familiar with the son of Poseidon's aura, so it would be much more difficult. Besides, it was not like Percy needed him to be able to show up in an instant. As the more powerful of the two, though he hoped soon to beat him, Percy could take care of himself.

Nico shook his head and refocused. He was getting side-tracked. He felt his some of his awareness and senses being pulled through the shadows at blinding speed, before coming to Oakland Hills. Knowing he was close, he focused a bit more and searched for Hazel's aura. When he found it, his control almost shattered.

She was in the hospital in New Rome. She was not dead yet, but her aura was very weak. It appeared to be stable for now, but every so often, it would flicker slightly. It could only mean one thing: She was in coma, but her condition could go both ways. Assured that she was still alive, Nico retracted his senses and awareness back to the present. Opening his eyes, he looked at the impatient faces of the demigods. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.

"You… think Octavian is right… when he claims Greek demigods exist?"

Jason reached ever so slowly into his cloak, causing the son of Hades to tense. But when the blonde withdrew his hand again, the Ghost King felt his control starting to crack like mirror. In the praetor's hand was a torn orange t-shirt with the word 'Camp' on it.

"I don't know about you Nico, but this definitely supports his suspicions. So I'm asking you again: Do Greek demigods exist?"

Nico felt the last of his iron control shatter. All of his hard work to keep the two camps secret for each other, gone to waste. And the most bitter thing of it all: his main reason for doing it was because he wanted to protect Hazel. He knew that if the two camps ever found out about each other, it would end in conflict. A war he had no intention of letting Hazel become part of. He lost Bianca in one war, so after he found Hazel, he swore to do whatever it took to protect her. But none of that mattered anymore and a small of him couldn't help but notice the bitter irony of it all; the one person he wished to protect the most ended up being the first one getting hurt, despite his best efforts. And now Jason waved that damn t-shirt before him. And going on the blood and small trails of gem dust on it, it could only mean that Hazel had indeed been attacked by someone from Camp Half-Blood.

The pieces of his self-control fell to the ground, leaving only darkness before his eyes. He didn't even notice the shadows react to his mounting mix of grief and anger as he spoke in a quiet voice. "Yes, Greek demigods do exist. Our base of operation is called Camp Half-Blood and can be found in the state of New York. The camp leader is called Percy Jackson and is a son of Poseidon."

Marcus went forward, his eyes cold. "So you admit it then? You are a Greek demigod!" He turned to Jason. "Praetor, with all due respect, the orders from the Senate are clear. We have to bring him to Camp Jupiter for questioning."

Jason looked at the youngest of the gathered, then at the others. He got affirmative nods. And while he didn't like it, he knew that with Nico's admission, he really had no other choice. "Nico di Angelo, by orders of the Senate, you are under arrest. We will bring you to Camp Jupiter where you will be subjugated to interrogation and later face trial on the accusation of treason."

Nico let out a bout of laughter, but it was without any humour. If Jason had to put a word on it, he would say it bordered on mad. "Ah yes. I figured that would be the case. But you see, I have no intention of going with you."

Marcus took another step forward and took out a lighter. "So you intend to fight the four of us?"

Once again, Nico laughed, but this time it was accompanied by a fake pleasant smile. "By the gods, no. Not unless you are foolish enough to attack me."

Marcus lit the lighter and used his pyrokinetic ability to manipulate the fire till it was the size of football. "In that case, allow me to take the opening shot. I hope you like fire ambassador, for it will be used during your interrogation."

Nico let out a snarl, his voice cold. "By all means, go ahead. You have no idea who you are dealing with kid. As for your interview…" here he trailed of as he pulled the cloak's sleeve and the sleeve of his shirt up. Then he moved his right hand over the elbow joint, and dispelling the thick layer of Mist he had woven to hide the scars. There, as close it ever came to healing, was the letters SPQR. "The last time a Roman burned me, was when Octavian tried giving me this tattoo without my consent. I'm not going to make the same mistake about a Roman wielding fire again. If you want to burn me, you will have to kill me first."

Marcus let out a growl. "To think that a spy like you have the tattoo that makes you one of us, even if it only half complete. Why even try to hide it?"

Once again Nico laughed, but this time it was a derisive sound. "Are you really that stupid, Marcus? Do you think I've only kept an eye on Camp Jupiter? No, I've kept an eye on Camp Half-Blood as well. I had to hide this so I wouldn't be asked questions."

The son of Vulcan did not like being called stupid. And one look at the others showed they too knew that the fight they had anticipated was about to start. Controlling his anger, he grit out "Ambassador, you said I have no idea who I'm dealing with. Enlighten me then: What is it going to say on your grave?"

Jason brought out his coin at the same time Mariana prepared her bow to fire. Frank had drawn his pilum and was ready to fight as well. Still, Jason saw it wise to preach caution. It might have been something he imagined, but at some point, he could have sworn the shadows seemed to grow thicker and earth beneath Nico had started to crack and smoke.

"Marcus, tune it down. We need him alive." He turned his attention towards Nico. "Last chance, Nico di Angelo. Come with us quietly, or we will use force."

Nico's hand grabbed his weapon within his robes. He was ready. "I told you already; I'm not going with you to Camp Jupiter. But I will answer Marcus' question; it is only fair you know who you are dealing with." He took a deep breath.

"To Camp Jupiter, I'm known as Nico di Angelo, son and ambassador of Pluto. To Camp Half-Blood, I'm known as the son of Hades, the Ghost King, Prince of Shadows, the Night Devil and the Silent Reaper." He looked at the youngest demigod, murder written in his face. "Now you know who you are fighting, Marcus. You said you wanted the first shot; go ahead. But you better hope you hit. And if you hit, you better make it count. For you won't get a second shot."

The turf of the Quidditch pitch exploded with action. Jason flipped his coin and caught a gladius at the same time Frank surged forward, Marcus let loose his fireball and Mariana fired her bow. Nico ducked under the arrow and returned fire. His blast of black fire collided with the one fired by the younger demigod and Frank had to jump out of the way of the two spheres of destruction. The balls of fire ricocheted and careened into the walls of the stands and bleachers, exploding upon contact. Nico swung at Marcus, drawing his weapon in one fluid motion.

It happened so fast that Jason barely saw it, but for the fraction of a second, Nico was holding a pen, the next moment he was holding a long staff that looked like it was made of black iron. The staff connected directly with the back of Marcus' head as the older boy sidestepped him and hit.

CLONG!

Nico frowned as he blocked Frank with his new incomplete weapon. It was a bo-staff, inspired greatly by the one wielded by Robin in the Teen Titans cartoon, but so far it was only its basis-form. It was made from a lightweight steel bo the room had provided when Nico had asked for something to base his work on. He had found this staff, which had the perfect properties and measures for what he intended to make. As it already fit, Nico had coated the staff in a very thin layer of melted Stygian Iron and then cooled it, making it near indestructible. As it being in pen form: Well, Nico figured he would have to hide it somehow so it was easy to bring around.

What was more important, when wielding this staff, it felt like it was an extension of his body in ways his sword never had. And he had learned bojutsu and other Asian martial arts from his trips to China and Japan. But even so, there was a long way to go before his weapon was complete. And then he would have to master it completely.

Grinding his teeth as Frank nearly overpowered him with his superior weight and muscle power, Nico kicked the larger boy away before turning to where he smacked Marcus. He expected the younger boy to be down on the ground, either unconscious from the blow or moaning in pain; he was neither. It was only because of years in the mythological world of gods, monsters and magic that his mouth and weapon didn't drop to the ground.

'I thought the sound was wrong,' Nico thought, 'but it would definitely explain why the guy returns from all his quests and can be the first one over the wall unscathed.'

Marcus Johnson was a sight to behold. He had grown several inches and his skin had turned gold, red and grey and seemed to be steaming slightly in the cold autumn air. He had discarded his cloak, revealing him to be wearing traditional Roman armour without any additional clothing for his upper body. But the armour had to be for something else than just protection, seeing how several wires ran from it to different contraptions all around Marcus' body, mainly his arms and down his legs. The boy was wearing some sort of grey pants and boots that appeared to be made of light iron and gold.

Nico had seen much, but he had only come across anything like what he was seeing four years ago. And the sound his weapon made when it made contact with the youngster suddenly made sense. "I finally see why the camp is whirring with rumours about you, Marcus, son of Vulcan. You are a living automaton. Or a watered down version of Iron Man."

The younger demigod smirked. "I will wipe that smile of your face soon enough. My strongest power is not Pyrokinesis, nor my mechanic genius. No, it's the ability to transform my skin and organs into an organic mix of gold and steel. Frank, stand back. He is mine."

He flicked his hands downwards and fifty centimetres blades made of Imperial Gold sprang from small boxes resting where one would wear a watch. Then he charged.

Nico expected the younger boy would be slowed down because of the additional weight. He was wrong. The kid was fast. He moved out of the way when the younger demigod took a swing with his left and he blocked the incoming right. Now that he was up close, he could feel the heat coming from the younger's metal skin.

'Just bloody fantastic,' Nico cursed as he continued to fight with Marcus. 'The kid skin is literally hard as iron and smoking hot. No wonder he has never been injured. With skin like that, it is impossible to touch him.' He swiped at the younger boy, risking a glance to locate the other Romans. Mariana had pulled back towards the Quidditch hoops, Jason in front of her. Frank was prowling on his right, waiting for an opening. 'This is going to be harder than… whoa!'

He brought up his staff to block another attack. The force behind the blow was so immense that it brought the two teens face to face. Biting back a curse, Nico pushed him a step and went into a combination of blows and swings, those that weren't feints connecting as they should. It only seemed to unbalance the kid. Growing frustrated, Nico raised the bo for an attack. Big mistake, for moment he did, was when Marcus saw his chance. He brought up his foot in a kick and it was only thanks to his reflexes that Nico managed to block the kick with his bo-staff. The kick connected with the staff, forcing Nico to dig his heels into the ground to stand his ground. But it wasn't over. Suddenly there was the sound of mechanical whirring and it was coming from the boot pressing the staff against his chest.

'Oh Styx.'

Nico was blasted through the air as whatever device Marcus had in those boots went off, and he landed painfully on his back several metres from the younger teenager. Groaning, the son of Hades got back on his feet. Letting out a growl, he looked at the smirking son of Vulcan who had the audacity to mock him.

"Funny you should call me a watered down version of Iron Man. It was that movie that inspired me to install these thrusters in my boots. I planned on making a couple of gloves with repulsor canons, but that is out of my reach as I'm not a fictional character with unlimited technology and resources. And before you ask, no, the thrusters aren't powerful enough to make me fly. They are for added effect in combat only." He smirked he held up his hands, palms facing Nico, blades retracted. Not that it mattered, for the boy was holding two fireballs. "Make your move, shadow boy."

Nico bit back a very scathing remark. Getting called boy by one who was younger than him? No more mister nice guy Nico. He slowly raised his hands. "One question… am I right in assuming that that armour is not just for added protection?"

Had Marcus given Nico's behaviour more thought, he wouldn't have cancelled the fireballs or opened his mouth. "You are right. This chest piece works as a battery. It runs on solar energy, but can be recharged through water or wind energy if need be. Now, are you ready to sur… whaaaa!"

Nico had thrust out his hand, and every shadow in the arena sprang to do his bidding. They surged forward to him and he directed them at Marcus. The shadows formed a large arm that connected with his Nico's right; essentially, it was a large and powerful extension of Nico's own arm. The shadow arm grabbed Marcus' shins in an iron grip.

"Hey! What are you doing!?"

Nico let out a growl. "Taking you for a swing."

And he did just that. Waving his hand around, he smashed the younger boy through one long side of the arena and up through one of the towers and finished the swing by smashing him down another tower. The secret behind it was that the closer to Nico, the more power. And the tower Marcus was smashed down through was the one closest to Nico.

The son of Hades took a few seconds to catch his breath. Big mistake. He didn't hear anything other than the wind howling and the thunder booming, but he felt the skin on his cheek rip open as an arrow grazed him. Whirling around in the direction of the attack, the son of Hades ducked under another arrow fired by the son of Mars.

'Wait… where is Jason and Mariana?' His brow furrowed and he swatted another arrow out of the air with his staff. Then a peculiar smell hit his nostrils and the little hair on his neck stood straight up. 'This smell… oh shit. Ozone! What is the most likely place for Jason to stand and summon the lightning? Not the towers, they are made of wood. But where else…' His eyes widened. 'The hoops!'

He looked up, just in time to see Jason raise his golden sword and point it at him, directing a bolt of lightning. The son of Hades clasped his hands together and a wall of black stone rose in front of him. The blast of lightning slammed right into the stone and was deflected right into the bleachers behind him. But it shattered the rock as well and the explosion sent Nico sprawling through the air again, pebbles hitting him all the way. Groaning, Nico got shakily on his feet. This fight was starting to take its toll on his energy reserves, and while he loathed admitting it, tracing Hazel's life aura had taken more out of him than he thought.

"Now, Frank!"

Nico was snapped out of his stupor at Jason's shout and he managed a swift glare in direction of the praetor, barely noticing that Mariana stood in another hoop with the help of a rope. Then the sound of heavy footfalls reached the ears of the Ghost King and he turned, just to see a grey-skinned dragon storming at him, maw full of teeth and ready to bite him. One thing was clear to the son of Hades: They were done holding back and he briefly wondered if they were no longer aiming to take him alive or if they were just coming at him with everything they got, hoping that he would tire himself out. If it was the latter, he feared they might succeed.

When Frank got within five feet of him, Nico erected a strong 360 degrees shield of shadows, protecting him from all sides, above and below included. The force of the shield was powerful enough to send Frank tumbling backwards. Frank let out a roar of rage and let loose a continuous stream of fire at the shield at the same time Jason send another blast of lightning while Mariana fired an arrow that exploded.

The son of Hades felt the sweat mixing with the blood on his forehead. 'I can't maintain this shield for long. Not if I'm going to keep fighting. But at least I managed… oh c'mon! You've got to be kidding me!' Marcus had appeared from the rubble left behind, and he looked really pissed off. But it looked like the last treatment he got had been rough on him. The battery/armour was pretty much ripped to pieces and his iron-skin was not quite all that shiny anymore. And perhaps it was just Nico, but it looked dented. The younger demigod screamed in anger and blasted fire at him. 'Just fantastic. The Iron Man wannabe is back.'

The sweat on his forehead was running down his face by now. So far his shield was holding up, but it wouldn't for much longer. Not under the combined might of a dragon and angry son of Vulcan blasting fire at him, a daughter of Apollo that was showering him with exploding arrows and the son of Jupiter bombarding him with small blasts of lightning that, luckily, did not hold the same level of power as the first; if they did, Nico would have been toast. As it was, most of the fireballs and lightning bolts were deflected into the stadium.

The son of Hades cursed in his head as he had to strengthen the shield. 'This is not good. My plan was to lure them into the forest where I would have a greater advantage, but they foiled that plan. I thought I would have the advantage here, but I didn't think Marcus would have that kind of ability; I underestimated him. Damnit, I underestimated him! What a rookie mistake to make, di Angelo!' He groaned as another violent blast of lightning almost tore through his shield. 'Well, looks like this might be the end.'

Marcus laughed. "Ready to surrender yet?! You can't stay in there forever!"

Nico was about to retort, but then years of being in the mythological world and tight spots kicked in. 'You are not giving up, Nico! Focus! Stay calm! You have to stay calm! You are no good to Hazel dead!' His self-scolding kicked him out of it and he strengthened his shield once more. 'Focus, di Angelo. Focus. Stay calm… analyse the situation. Analyse everything.' He knew that it was a bad idea, but he closed his eyes. It was the only way he could think in this situation. 'They came here in a typical Roman squad attack formation. The three fighters in front, support and healer in the back. They are still in that formation, except that Mariana is with Jason, the strongest of them. It makes sense, the most powerful fighter protecting the healer.' A small frown appeared on his brow. 'Jason is bombarding me with lightning bolts, but they vary in power. Why? Granted that his stamina increased over the years, firing off lightning bolts and protecting Mariana from the strays should tire him out more, so why isn't he slowing down?' A light bulb went on in his head. 'Of course! Mariana! With her ability to replenish Jason's energy, he can go on without tiring. I need to cut that power supply off.' His mind wandered to his two other opponents. 'But that is not going to happen as long those two are on my case. If I make a move for those in the hoops, I will get hit from the ground; and if I try to attack those on the ground, I will get hit from above. And with four against one, a sneak-attack is out of the question as the one would alert the other.'

His frown deepened. 'I need to separate them, fight them one-on-one. But physical attacks seems to have little effect on Marcus; and because of this, I will still be at a disadvantage, even if I manage to take down the others. Curse his invulnerability! The guy has never sustained a physical injury, so how am I supposed to bring him down? Hellfire? No, with all that Imperial Gold, it might blow up the Quidditch pitch completely. That is sure to bring all the teachers here; I guess the only reason they haven't come yet is because of the storm and they haven't realized the lightning near the Quidditch pitch is being summoned by a teenager. But how do I deal with one who has never been wounded… wait! That is it!' The son of Hades opened his eyes and looked first from his staff to Jason and back to his bo-staff. 'And I know just how to get them one-on-one. I just hope this works.'

He started pushing hellfire and shadows into the staff, and he felt his energy take a massive drop. 'One… two… two and a half… GO!'

Nico dropped his shield, turned around and rolled away from two heated balls and stream of flame. He started sprinting towards the end of the pitch, the one opposite Jason. Nico rather felt the small hairs stand up than he heard the clasp of thunder. But he had no doubt that the son of Jupiter had just fired another bolt of lightning of the same scale as the first.

Time seemed to slow down. Nico jumped horizontally, legs first, as he spun around. He saw the blast of lightning and he hammered his staff towards the ground. He let go of it in the fraction of a second before the lightning bolt hit. The moment it did, the bo-staff embedded itself in the ground and stood.

Time seemed to speed up again and Nico slid across the ground. Quite painfully, as a matter of fact. But his plan worked.

The entire stadium shook as a violent underground explosion ripped the green turf open in a cobweb of crevices spewing white hot fire, sending large pieces of earth and rock into the air. Logs and other rubble tumbled down from the towers while two towers, the ones Marcus got acquainted with, simply collapsed while the rest of the stadium's skeleton creaked under the shockwave and at some places splintered. Dust and smoke whirled in the air and Nico had to roll out of the way as the largest goal pole tumbled to the ground, having been knocked over by the collapsed tower closest to him.

Nico coughed as he slowly got on his feet. He couldn't see much because of all the dust, but the turf had been transformed into a jagged rock landscape with cracks and small fires burning. The stadium was heavily damaged, even burning here and there. And two out of three goal poles in Nico's end had hit the ground. One had almost squashed Nico while the other had been stopped by the bleachers behind it.

His plan had been a worked well. Perhaps a little too much. Like with his sword, he was able to channel his powers through the staff. His plan was relatively simple. He was going to channel as much power as he could afford to spare through the staff and then stick it in the ground while he flattened himself against ground. The bo-staff was to act like a lightning conductor, and channel both his and Jason's power from the lightning bolt into the ground. But it seemed he miscalculated the explosiveness of combining lightning, Hellfire and shadows. He would have to take that into account for his new trick.

'Well,' Nico thought, 'that ought to get their attention on the castle. I better hurry. First one: that annoying son of Vulcan.' He closed his eyes and started sensing for life auras. He frowned slightly as he felt one more than his four opponents, but he brushed it off as him being tired. And while none of them were really familiar to him, he soon found one to his direct right. It was the where he had had Marcus last. 'Gotcha.'

Silently he hurried to his right, letting the sounds of violent coughing guide him. What he found was a coughing and cursing Marcus Johnson, covered in dust and soot from head to toe. He was still in 'armour-mode', but that didn't matter to Nico. The younger demigod was obviously tired as he stumbled around. The Ghost King hypothesized that the young son of Vulcan only could stay in his 'armour-mode' for a fixed amount of time, just like Hazel could only wear her diamond armour for a few minutes. The difference being that Hazel summoned and created the diamonds from the ground and had to maintain it manually while Marcus seemed to change his entire body from within without worrying about it failing before time and energy ran out. If that was true, it would definitely explain the longer timespan. But none of that mattered to Nico at the moment. Taking the younger demigod by surprise, he pushed him against the weakened stands and was glad that the kid's iron skin was no longer burning hot.

Marcus was surprised for a moment, then he laughed as he grabbed the son of Hades' wrists in an almost bone-breaking grip. "I will admit that last stunt of yours was brilliant, but it seems it fried your brain alongside the arena. Attacking me like this while I'm still invulnerable and without your weapon? How stupid. Praetor! Frank! Mariana! I've got him!" He smirked at Nico. "We got you in the end. You should consider your last words in advance."

To Marcus' shock, Nico smirked and a dangerous glint entered his eyes. "Or… I got you. As for any last words I might say… how about: Look into my eyes."

"What do you mean…"

Marcus' frown disappeared from his metallic face and his eyes went wide. Then he let out a scream of pure agony before going silent. His and features skin changed back into their normal state and he slumped forward, eyes still wide open. He hid the ground with a dull thud, face first, Nico not doing anything to stop his fall.

Nico sighed and rubbed his temples as he felt a headache coming up. While Nico wasn't above killing, some voice that sounded remarkably like Hazel's, told him to spare the boy. He was not his true enemy. He turned around and tensed up, biting back a curse. Frank Zhang was standing ten feet from him, and he was soon joined by Jason Grace who flew through the dust and landed safely, carrying an unconscious Mariana Delvin.

All of them looked worse for wear. Their clothes were torn and they were covered in dust and soot; Nico figured he looked just like that as well. And with little energy left and no weapons, he did not like his chances. Moreover, it was only a matter of time before the stadium would be surrounded by the teachers. And apparently the praetor seemed to be of the same thought, for he spoke up.

"Frank, take Marcus and Mariana and get out of here. This place will soon be surrounded." Frank opened his mouth to protest, but Jason cut him off. "Go. I will settle this and find you later." Then he addressed Nico. "We will duke this out somewhere else, out of sight. The forest, maybe?"

Nico nodded grimly. "There is a hut on the border of the forest. I will meet you there."

With that, he melted into the shadows, silently summoning his staff to him through the shadows as well.

Jason nodded to Frank before taking off towards the rim of the forest. Frank transformed into a dragon once more and carried away his two unconscious teammates. None of them noticed the pale teenager running towards Hagrid's Hut, but Frank, Jason and the boy saw a mass of people that could only be the teachers of the school running towards the Quidditch stadium… or what was left of it, anyway. Luckily, the teachers of Hogwarts were too focused on the arena to notice the two forms flying away and one sprinting towards the Forbidden forest.

00000

Jason soon found the hut Nico mentioned on the border to the forest, and true to his word, Nico was waiting for him, staff in hand. The son of Jupiter gave the younger boy a quick look over and was pleased to see that the son of Pluto looked as tired as Jason felt, or perhaps even more so. When the arena grounds exploded, Jason had to fly and grab Mariana, as the girl was blasted away by the shockwave, the robe not being strong enough. Then, while in mid-air, Jason had to avoid lightning bolts, flying chunks of rock, rafters and logs. He had to blow some of it to pieces with lightning, but a stray log had still hit Mariana, knocking her unconscious.

"I will admit that I did not see you pulling that last trick, Ambassador of Pluto. You are clearly not just a diplomat, but a skilled fighter as well. Why have you never shown this before?"

Nico showed him the unfinished branding on his arm. "Would it have made you trust me more or less? If you knew of my powers, you would want to force me into the Legion. Octavian already tried, knowing that I would have to obey orders or get punished. No thank you."

Jason tilted his head. "You were just gathering information on us to your little friends in New York so you cold plan an attack on us, is that it?"

Nico shook his head. "No. I was gathering information on both sides, so I could find the best ways to keep the camps apart. Why you might ask? Because every time the camps meet, it ends in bloodshed. Contrary to popular belief, I do not enjoy death. I know that if it came to war, both sides would want to use me as a spy. That is another reason I gathered information on both sides; so I could give information to both sides, and hopefully dissuade you from attacking if you knew what the other side is capable of." He let out a bitter laugh. "Not that it helped much. I was doing it to try keep Hazel safe, yet she is the first victim."

Jason mulled it all over in his head. He understood Nico perfectly and agreed with him; he did not want another war. Even so, fact remained that Nico was a spy and he had clear orders. "I'm sorry Nico di Angelo; I understand your reasons for doing as you have done, but you have admitted to being a spy. I've my orders. I'm sorry."

Nico nodded, and a sad and despondent look appeared on his face. "I know, Jason; I don't hold it against you. It is because of our cursed past that we must fight now. What saddens me the most is had things been different, like if we had come to the same camp from the beginning, we could have been friends." He looked to the forest, then back. "Jason, we are both tired. I've barely more juice left to go on, and from the looks of it, summoning even one small lightning bolt will send you to the ground. Out of respect for each other, how about we settle this in a fair fight? No interruptions, no trickery, no powers; only our skill with a weapon will decide the winner."

Jason gave a tight nod. "Terms accepted. But first, please tell me: What did you do to Marcus?"

Nico sighed as he readied his staff as Jason tossed his coin again, this time transforming into a lance. "I placed him under an illusion. I subjugated him to an hour long treatment with the reduced cat on his back. He experienced all the pain from one hour session in the matter of a second. Because of him never having experienced getting wounded, with the possible exception of when he received his tattoo, his brain could not cope with the trauma of the new sensation. Don't worry, he is not dead. If I had wanted to, and had more energy to spare, I could have done much worse. He should be up by tomorrow noon. If he isn't, I suggest getting your hands on some medicine against hallucinations and painkillers. That should do the trick."

The son of Jupiter nodded his understanding. Then he attacked. The so-called ambassador skilfully deflected his thrust, and made a swipe for his blonde head. Jason parried in it the last second and went on the offensive. Before they knew it, they were fighting in the woods, their battle more like a dance.

They would swipe, jab, parry, thrust, swing, deflect and slash at each other, being unable to hit their opponent. For how long they fought, they didn't know. But their fight came to a stop when Nico disarmed Jason and pressed him against a tree.

It was a simple move really. Nico brought down his staff in a vertical attack and Jason blocked it by holding his javelin horizontal. But before the Roman demigod could react any further, the son of Hades spun the weapon in his hand and brought the bo-staff upwards from underneath the golden javelin, instantly knocking lance out of the blonde's hands. The black-haired teen caught the javelin in one hand and pushed it against the praetor's throat, pushing him against a tree.

Both were panting in exhaustion, but Nico spoke a coherent sentence. "Do you surrender?"

Jason panted, looking into the dark-eyed teen's orbs. Then he nodded. "I surrender."

Nico held him at weapon point as he searched his face for any sign of deceit. Finding none, he lowered the javelin and handed it back to Jason. Just then Frank burst through the treeline, their two companions still unconscious. "There you are. Good, let's…"

He was cut off by Jason. "No, Frank. The fight is over. I lost."

Frank started protesting. "But Jason! We need to bring him back! I can still fight!"

Jason shook his head. "I said no, Frank. That is an order. The fight is over. I, no, we, lost. Even if you can fight, so can Nico. And we are on his turf now, he has the advantage." He looked at Nico, changing the lance back to its coin form. "You win this time around, Nico. We might come back later and try again. Now we know not to underestimate you and we have better knowledge of your powers."

Nico nodded and stepped aside, leaving Jason space enough to go and join Frank. "Likewise. But be warned: Now that I know of your being here, you will not be able to take me by surprise again."

Jason gave a grim nod and took Mariana from Frank, lowering her against a tree before reaching into his cloak again. Nico tensed up, but then a look of utter shock formed on his face as Jason tossed two items in front of him: A silver arrow and a bronze dagger. He looked up at Jason.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Jason picked up Mariana again and answered in a tired voice. "Those were found near Hazel. We figure they belong to whoever attacked Hazel. Alongside this we found the t-shirt and a calling card saying Hunters of Artemis. I know that Artemis is more or less the Greek equivalent to Diana. As for the dagger… I don't assume you recognize it?"

Nico looked at the dagger again, and for just the fraction of a second, Jason thought he saw recognition, disbelief and absolute fury and hatred in the black orbs. But when Nico spoke, his voice was calm. "No, I don't recognize the dagger. Many at camp use them."

Jason gave nod, pushing the suspicion that Nico wasn't entirely honest with him away. "I see. Nico di Angelo, we must part ways now. But know this: if I find out that you just lied to me, you better pray to your father. You are from this moment an enemy of Camp Jupiter. This is your absolute last chance: Come with us now of your own free will, and mercy will be shown."

Nico laughed, this time definitely a mad man's laugh, and Jason wondered if the black-haired teen had finally lost it. But then Nico spoke again, his voice spoke of barely contained anger. "For the last time: I will not come with you. I have seen the extent of Roman mercy, and I will not submit to it."

Jason nodded. He figured that would be the case. When he spoke, his voice was strained "I see. Nico, you do understand that Camp Jupiter always gets its enemies, right? You might have won today, but we will be back with numbers. Reyna is preparing the Legion for war. And with our recent failure in capturing you, Octavian will be screaming for your blood."

Patience running out and his fury building, Nico let out a hiss that told of danger. "Tell me, who is the praetor again? You deal with Reyna and the Legion, Jason, and I will deal with Octavian. You can tell him that if he is so hellbent on questioning me, he can come and get me himself. I will show him what happens to a little dog that barks and snaps too much at a bigger dog. As for you coming for me in numbers: You are underestimating me; numbers won't matter against me. You are not the only one commanding an army. And I will deal with the ones who attacked Hazel as well. I give you my word on that."

Jason frowned at the younger boy before nodding his grim understanding. "Then so be it. Let's go, Frank."

With that they both took off into the sky, leaving Nico alone in the clearing. The son of Hades looked after them, before picking up the arrow and dagger and started storming towards the castle. He was seething with feelings of grief, betrayal, regret and fury, and if he had more energy than he did, there was no doubt in in his mind that the Forbidden Forest would be burning. Not that it mattered. At the moment, he couldn't care less about getting caught by the professors. He recognized that dagger alright.

A human's gasp on his right pulled him back to reality. Reacting on pure reflex, he pushed the person against the tree he had been hiding behind, his staff against the guy's windpipe. When he saw who it was, his eyes went wide in shock and surprise. "You? What are you doing here?"

11111

Neville Longbottom had had the strangest of evenings. After dinner, he had gone to the greenhouses to do some work together with Professor Sprout, as he had done many times before. They were going to prepare some mandrakes for the second years, but Professor Sprout had been bitten in the ear by a Venomous Tentacula, causing her to swear quite loudly, and she had to leave to get an antidote. It was right before curfew, so she had asked Neville to clear up and return to Gryffindor, awarding him twenty points for his volunteer work.

But as it was, Neville didn't like leaving work half-way finished, so he stayed and prepared the last mandrakes for the re-potting the next day and then cleaned up. He had been so absorbed in his work that he didn't notice time flying by, and by the time he was done with cleaning up, it was way past curfew. He had been about to leave when he had seen someone storming past the greenhouses. At first, Neville hadn't recognized him, but then he had realized it was the new boy, Nico di Angelo.

Neville had been about to shout through the glass what he was doing out after curfew, but then he had seen the look on the other boy's face. It was the face of one who was about to enter a duel and that if anyone crossed him, there would be hell to pay. So Neville decided to follow him from a distance, just in case he needed help.

He had followed him to the Stone Circle and hid at the end of the Covered Bridge. It wasn't long before people showed up, and it became clear that Nico knew them. Then they had proceeded to use terms that made no sense to Neville. Legion, Camp Jupiter, Ambassador? Ambassador for what? Was Camp Jupiter some sort of school? Then one of them had said it was too open, and Nico had suggested meeting at the Quidditch pitch just to disappear in the shadows. And then, the one who had to be the leader had barked out orders and flown away! He flew, without the use of a broom or anything! Neville had never seen anything like it. But then he had gotten another shock as the largest of the boys had transformed into a dragon, a freaking dragon, picked up the other boy and taken to the air.

Neville had briefly considered running for help, but even he was curious about Nico and the four new what Neville guessed to be teenagers. So he had taken towards the Quidditch pitch. He had missed most of the conversation, and the wind howling made it no easier, but he heard the leader of the four to tune it down and that they needed Nico alive.

At that, Neville had drawn his wand and was about to run in and demand what was going on, but then a ball of fire had hit the wall and blown a hole, right next to Neville's face and he had reconsidered. And as the fight progressed, he was glad he did. He couldn't hear a thing of what they were saying because of the wind, but he could follow the action quite well.

At some point, what looked like a human statue made of gold and steel came crashing through the wooden skeleton of the stadium, and Neville was sure he had made the right choice. Especially since the so-called statue had been screaming bloody murder as it went by.

His family's special ability was starting to manifest itself in him for real. Before he met Nico and now these guys as well, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had been the most powerful fifteen-year-olds Neville had ever met. But seeing Nico and those four fighting, he found that Harry and Malfoy were so hilariously outclassed that it wasn't even funny.

A part of him knew he shouldn't be surprised. Long ago, before the Ministry was founded, the pureblood families fought for land. And some of the families that weren't as powerful as the Blacks, Malfoys and Potters when it came to raw magical power, started developing special abilities that might help them survive. The Weasleys, for instance, developed strong and durable bodies. This in turn affected their natural lifespan and fertility. As a matter of fact, the oldest wizard to ever live had been a Weasley, reaching the age of 150 years. And because of their fertility, the Weasley family was also the largest to date; if you looked long enough, you could practically find a Weasley in every country in Europe.

The Longbottoms, Neville's family, developed the ability to sense an enemy's raw magical power. That in turn helped them to find out if they could take on the wizard/witch in a one-on-one fight, or if it would be wiser to run and hide.

Of course, all of the special abilities of the wizard families had decreased and lessened considerably in potency as time went by and they became unnecessary for survival. But even so, when Nico di Angelo had first appeared, Neville had been able to feel the raw power within the teenager, and he had almost choked. And that was when the guy was obviously tired. Now, he had gotten to feel and see a fully rested Nico in action.

No fifteen-year-old should be that powerful, not by a long shot. Neville had quickly realized that no student on Hogwarts would be able to take on Nico di Angelo in a straight-up fight. If they did, Nico would mop the floor with the unfortunate soul. Only some of the teachers, like the Heads of Houses and Dumbledore should take Nico on one-on-on.

Then, Neville was blown off his feet, quite literally. He hadn't seen what transpired in there, but suddenly the turf exploded and the entire stadium trembled. When he got back on his feet, he had almost soiled his pants.

Huge plumes of smoke and dust rose from the Quidditch pitch, and large parts of it were burning, and the skeleton had taken a severe beating.

Neville remembered laughing at himself, suddenly very, very glad he hadn't barged in. He remembered thinking: 'That would have been a nice round of trouble you would have gotten yourself into, Neville. Try stopping this kind of fight is the same as asking to be reduced to a grease spot.'

Neville was, contrary to whatever Snape said, not stupid. He did learn from his mistakes. He learned in first year, that it was stupid idea to go against three people that stronger, both in muscle, raw power and knowledge than you. As if he alone could have stopped Harry, Hermione and Ron that night when they were hellbent on leaving. Admittedly it turned out alright in the end, but he had laid there for hours, unable to move.

Now he had witnessed someone duke it out in ways that made Harry and friends look weak in comparison. For Merlin's sake, Nico and his opponents had just blown up the Quidditch pitch. If that wouldn't get the teachers' attention, Neville didn't know what would. He had barely thought the thought, before he saw the complete teacher staff hurrying down the hills. He had considered running to them and tell them everything, but again, he did learn from his mistakes.

In first year, he had snuck out to warn Harry and Hermione and had gotten a detention for trying to do good. He didn't dare think what would happen to him if he was caught out after curfew under these circumstances. So he had prayed to Merlin that the teachers wouldn't see him when he had run after the blond when he headed towards Hagrid's Hut.

By the time he got there, the blond and Nico were long gone. But then he had heard sounds coming, much to his chagrin, from the Forbidden Forest. Realizing they had taken to fight in there, Neville had snuck into the forest, letting his ears guide him. He didn't dare get too close; not after witnessing what they did to the Quidditch pitch.

He hadn't been able to hear anything they said, but the dragon guy had arrived and then left again. He had once again considered running to the teachers, but the moment he moved his foot, Nico had appeared and Neville had let out a gasp at the sight. Never mind the blood and grime. What really shocked Neville was the look of pure rage in Nico's eyes. But that gasp had proved to be a bad mistake, for now Neville found himself pressed against a tree, windpipe slowly being crushed by Nico's weapon and staring into the furious eyes of the powerful teen. And perhaps it was Neville's scared mind that was playing tricks on him, but for just the faintest of moments, he could have sworn he saw a fiery red in the usual dark irises. But it might have been something he imagined, for in the next moment, they widened in surprise and the pressure against his throat loosened just a little, making him able to breathe normally again.

"You? What are you doing here?"

Neville swallowed as he stared into the eyes of Nico di Angelo. What he saw there shocked him. There wasn't only fury in his eyes, but he could see big grief and regret in the dark orbs alongside disbelief. A little press against the throat told him to spill, and one look told him he better tell the truth.

"I… I… I saw you walking past the greenhouses, looking… like… you were about to fight someone. I followed you to the Stone Circle and hid. Then… four people showed up."

Nico's eyes darkened and he added some extra pressure. "What did you hear? Tell me!"

Neville spluttered and tried pushing away the staff, but the other boy, even if he was lacking in height, was stronger than him. But then he seemed to realize that Neville couldn't talk if he couldn't breathe and he lessened the pressure. But still, the looks in his eyes told Neville that he was running out of patience as he seemed to be struggling to suppress the grief and rage he was feeling inside. Well, Neville, for one, didn't want to be in the vicinity, should Nico lose it.

"I heard you say mention something called Camp Jupiter, the Legion and them calling you an ambassador. And I followed you to the Quidditch pitch, but there I only heard the leader telling one of them that they needed you alive and then you started fighting! Then you blew up the Quidditch pitch and I followed the blond guy here! I heard you fighting in the woods, but I didn't dare get any closer! But I didn't hear anything else, I swear! I was only trying to help! I swear, I was only trying to help!"

Nico was silent for almost a minute, looking Neville in the eyes. Neville felt like those dark orbs saw right into his soul. But then, much to his shock, the pressure disappeared from his throat and the staff seemed to vanish into Nico's cloak. How he managed that trick, Neville wasn't sure. He fell to his knees, rubbing his sore throat. But Nico's quiet voice made him look up.

"I believe you Neville… Longbottom… was it?" Neville nodded shakily. "You are very brave, coming here alone. Not many would do that… fewer still would try to help me. Thanks."

Neville looked up at the powerful teenager, eyes wide. It was only now he realized how tired the other boy seemed to be. Standing up, he rubbed his throat. "You are welcome."

Nico winced. "Well, I have a bad way of showing my gratitude. Sorry about… that."

He gestured towards Neville's throat, but Neville just let out a relieved chuckle. "Don't worry about it. I'm too much of a Hufflepuff to hold grudges." He looked at the deadpan look Nico was giving him. "What? I was almost sorted into Hufflepuff you know. I don't know if you have noticed it, but I'm not exactly like Harry, Ron and Hermione, and much less like you. I'm not strong, nor smart. Nor am I brave."

Nico tilted his head, frowning. Then he spoke, in a quiet voice. "You are wrong, Neville; on all accounts. You are very strong. I have met people who claimed to be powerful, but they could not meet my gaze. You say you are not smart… we both know that is a lie. I have seen you in class. You get the theory, but for some reason, you can't do the practical part. But that has nothing to do with you not being smart. That has to do with your lack of self-confidence. As for you not being brave; there is a hard line between bravery and stupidity. I've heard rumours of Harry's adventures here at Hogwarts. But think about it: Would people call him brave if he hadn't succeeded? Most likely, they would have called him reckless and stupid." Nico let out a chuckle. "It was brave of you following me, but it would have been foolish of you getting any closer. And while I'm touched by the gesture, please refrain from doing something like that again. Running into unnecessary danger isn't brave."

Neville nodded, dumbfounded. He knew he was pushing his luck, but he had to ask. "Nico… those guys… who were they? What is the Legion and Camp Jupiter?"

Nico frowned, pondering what to tell the other boy. The cat was beginning to crawl out of the bag. He couldn't kill him. For one, Neville was innocent in this mess. Secondly, it would arouse too many questions. Lastly, Nico had seen into his soul. It was pure. He could trust Neville, but not with the whole truth. He started walking towards the castle.

"Camp Jupiter is a wizard school in America that follows older ways than here at Hogwarts. As a result, some of its students are very powerful. I'm originally from an another camp or school like that, but I've done a bit of travelling over the years, going back and forth between them, keeping an eye on both. Our schools… well, they have a bloody past to say the least. Whenever we meet, more often than not, it comes to a duel that usually ends in death." They reached the treeline and Nico spoke in a quiet voice. "Neville, I would appreciate it if this don't reach other ears than yours."

Neville looked at the other boy. His first instinct was to tell Harry and his friends this, and the teachers, but then he noticed the tired looks in Nico eyes. The traces of anger were still there, but less pronounced. Right now, Nico had the look of a young guy who had seen way more than his fifteen years old life should have allowed, and combined with the fact that Nico had entrusted him with this knowledge compared to killing him, he figured he owed him.

"I swear Nico, I won't."

Nico opened his mouth to say thanks, but then he fell forward. He would have hit the ground if not for Neville catching him. Groaning, Nico tried pushing Neville away. "Thank you for catching me, but you can let go now. I'm fine."

Neville gave the boy a look and spoke with sarcasm and boldness that was unusual for him. "Yeah, right. That is why you are halfway crawling along the ground."

The son of Hades tried protesting, but Neville wouldn't budge on the matter. He let out weary sigh. "Fine. But don't blame me if we get caught by the teachers."

Neville frowned. He hadn't thought about the teachers. Shrugging, he hoisted Nico to a standing position and had him lean against him for support. "I will worry about that if we get caught."

They walked in silence for a few minutes and the still burning Quidditch pitch came into view. Black figures that could only be the teachers were running around, putting out the fires as best as they could. Neville turned his head as he heard Nico chuckle. "What is so funny?"

Nico chuckled. "I just wonder if Angelina will still want me on the Quidditch team if she learns about my role in this."

Neville stared at him for a moment, then he laughed. "I doubt she will be too thrilled about it. Maybe we should just stay quiet about it. But if you make it on the team, I hope you don't do this to the stadium if you lose." Then he frowned and suddenly paled. "Oh no, how are we going to get into the Gryffindor Tower? Looking like this, we are sure to draw attention to ourselves!"

They both stopped, both of them frowning. Then Nico sighed. "I will handle that. It can't be helped. Hold on."

Neville frowned. "What are you…. Waaaah!"

The Gryffindor's Herbology number one expert was cut off as he was surrounded by darkness. He could hear strange noises and he felt cold shivers up his spine and it felt like his very skin was peeling off. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was over, and Neville was shocked to see they were back in their dormitory.

"Nico, what was…"

Neville trailed off. Nico was lying on his bed, having passed out cold. Neville rubbed his head in confusion before heading for the showers. And while neither boy knew it yet, this night was the beginning of a strange friendship.

00000

Nico was staring into the fire. He had slept for hours after his fight. He woke up around at three thirty in the night, and could hear the other five boys' soft breathing and snoring. He had tried getting back to sleep, but thirty minutes later, he woke again, this time from a nightmare that involved Hazel's attack. It wasn't a demigod dream, of that he was sure, but he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. So knowing that he had gotten far less sleep than necessary, and ignoring his screaming muscles, Nico had headed for the showers, letting the water soothe his sore body.

After he was done, he headed down to the Common Room that thankfully was deserted, a small fire still burning in the fireplace. Wearing only his boxers, Nico found a thick blanket and took a seat in the one of the armchair's in front of the fireplace. How long he sat there, he had no idea. But the shower had done more than soothe his aching muscles. It had also roused him, and his fury was rising anew, squashing his grief and feeling of betrayal.

He had hidden the SPQR with Mist again, but was now fingering his camp necklace, having pulled it from his ring. He could hide a lot of small things in there by turning them into shadow, and it was necessary to hide the necklace when going to Camp Jupiter as it was sure to raise questions he would rather not answer. Not that his efforts had done him much good.

'The flames of war has been reignited' Nico mused, looking into the fireplace. 'Even after all I did to prevent it, Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood will soon be fighting each other again.'

He looked at the necklace again, his anger growing. The first clay bead was the one all had gotten after the Battle of Manhattan. The second one showed a little bronze dragon, as it had been the summer Leo repaired Festus. Festus was now guarding the camp borders alongside Peleus, unless Leo needed him for something. The third bead looked like a miniature ship hull. It was a huge project the Hephaestus cabin had started.

The necklace and its beads stood for more than just how many summers a camper survived. It stood for the friendship between the campers and to the camp. Nico snorted as he looked at the necklace, then the fireplace.

'The fires of war burns again. And it has already taken two victims. Hazel,' he clenched his fist holding the camp necklace before hurling said necklace into the fire. 'And my bond with Camp Half-Blood. They say they need me, but they only need my fighting abilities, not my friendship. I'm no longer a friend of Camp Half-Blood.'

He watched the necklace burn. Nico was no fool. If Camp Jupiter had managed to track him here, it was only a matter of time that Camp Half-Blood would come searching for him as well. When they did, he would be ready for them. They would come to rue the day they betrayed his trust. They would come to rue the evening he recognized the dagger as Annabeth Chase's, identifying her as one of Hazel's attackers. And the Hunters of Artemis would not go unpunished either. His ill feelings towards them after Bianca's death had lessened to the point he could tolerate being near Thalia and fight them in 'Capture the Flag' without using deadly force, but now he learned they were also there to attack his second sister, and his hatred for them was back, stronger than ever. But tonight's fight showed him that he would need to complete his weapon sooner than expected, and train harder. He was alone once more: Camp Jupiter had labelled him as a traitor, and Camp Half-Blood was no longer his ally. It was fine with him. If it was a fight the camps wanted from him, it was one they should get. He would be ready for them.

That thought firmly in mind, he went upstairs, knowing that he wouldn't get much more sleep, but it had grown too cold down in the Common Room. What he didn't witness was a bushy haired witch suddenly appearing out of thin air. Hermione gently placed Harry's invisibility cloak in the chair Nico had occupied moments before and kneeled in front of the fireplace. Pulling out her wand, she anxiously levitated the remains of the necklace out of the fire. The cord was gone, but the beads remained somewhat intact.

'Nico… who are you? What are you hiding?' Those were Hermione's thoughts as she picked up the cloak and went to a night filled with restless dreams.

End chapter 7

AN: Another chapter down. Hope you enjoyed reading and that I didn't went overboard with the fight. And thank you to all who have put on favourite and following alert.

Time for the anonymous reviews

Guest 2/20/13. chapter 6

UPDATE! i love this fanfic

i love the way nico is smart and has a intelligent way of speaking

in another fic he sounds young

make nico fall for anyone apart from hermione

**Response: Thank you. I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Now, in regards to who Nico will date, if any, I'm open to suggestions. However, for me to consider a suggestion/idea there has to be some good reasoning behind it. **

kim 2/14/13 . chapter 6

I love it

**Response: **

**Thank you. Hope you continue reading**

Guest 2/3/13 . chapter 4

Hey, did you make up the law in chapter 4 or was it in the book?

**Response: It depends on what law you mean. The law about flying carpets was in Harry Potter and the GOF, I just elaborated on it. If you are thinking about that decree Nico used against Umbridge, that is some I made up. I have always been curious about all the decrees that came before it, so I decided to play around with it. Besides, I needed Nico to throw in Umbridge's face. **

Guest 1/13/13 . chapter 4

FABULOUSLY AMAZING

THAT EAS 20% COOLER THAN TOTALLY AWESOME

**Response: Thank you. Glad you enjoy. **

Awesome name 1/10/13 . chapter 6

yay! Hazel's not dead! and ooooh, the romans are here!

someone followed nico! tsk tsk tsk who could that be?

UPDATE and let us know!

i LOOOVE the chap! (as always)

oh and, is this gonna be a hermione/nico pairing? bcoz there's that line wherein she is 'falling' for him…

**Response: Well, you got answered who followed Nico. And I'm glad you enjoyed. As for the pairing: Well, Hermione is falling for Nico, but nothing is certain yet. **

Hungry chick 1/8/13 . chapter 6

Love it get umbridge involved with nicos meeting that's happening right now

**Response: Sorry to disappoint, but it wasn't Umbridge. Hope you enjoyed anyway. **


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you to all who have read, reviewed and put on alerts and favourites. Now, on to the story. And be warned, there might be a shocker in this chapter. That being said, fasten your seatbelts, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

Chapter 8: Getting On Track.

"Merlin's sour underpants…" A third year Hufflepuff boy.

"Bloody… freaking… hell!" A sixth year Gryffindor boy.

"Oh my God. Who could have…?" A fifth year Ravenclaw girl.

"Who are responsible for this?! Expel them!" A fourth year Slytherin boy.

"Hey, don't look at us. We didn't do this. Right George?"

"Right Fred. Why would we want to blow up the coolest part, next to the forest, of Hogwarts?"

The entire student body of Hogwarts was gathered before the Quidditch stadium… or what was left of it. Even now, at nine in the morning, small trails of smoke still rose from small spots. The bleachers bore marks of fire and explosions while the once green turf was now nothing more than a barren rocky landscape.

The students were divided by their Houses, but over the muttering, Harry could hear that they all were in shock. He looked to his right. Hermione had her hands over the mouth, horrified by the destruction, no doubt wondering, like most of the students, who would be able to cause this level of devastation. Harry's first thought that it was Voldemort, but he remembered what the Order had said. Voldemort didn't have enough man power to attack the Ministry, let alone Hogwarts with Dumbledore present. It also left Harry wondering why whoever did this hadn't entered the castle. Whatever the case, Harry was glad they hadn't. He looked to his left. Ron was a gaping mess, mouth moving silently. Whether he was cursing whatever or whoever that caused this matter of destruction, or wondering what kind of spells were used, Harry wasn't sure. But he found himself needed to nudge Ron when Dumbledore, flanked by the Heads of Houses, addressed the student body.

"As you are well aware, Hogwarts' security was breached last night. We believe that whoever got past the wards surrounding us are responsible. The following will take effect immediately: No student, regardless of age and position, are to be found outside the castle after dinner. No student under the age of seventeen must walk the castle alone after dinner. Those of you who have part time jobs here at Hogwarts will be collected by teacher in your common rooms. Lastly, until the Quidditch stadium has been fully repaired, all Quidditch training and matches will be postponed." An uproar of protests rose, but silence fell when Dumbledore raised his hand. "I promise you all that we will do our best to repair the damages, but our main priority is your security. Third years and up know this: Two years ago, we were hosting Dementors to guard Hogwarts against the mass murderer, Sirius Black. We have already informed the board of governors and the Ministry of this turn of events, but so far they have not seen the need to post Dementors here again. Let's hope they don't. But until the culprit is caught, or we and the governors deem the danger to have passed, we will try to carry on as normally as we can. That will be all, thank you."

With that Dumbledore strode from the assembly, a frown on his old face. Harry didn't ponder on it too long, and he barely heard McGonagall sending the students to their classes. He was instead pondering the events of last night.

-Flashback start-

"Nico, listen…" He blinked. Nico was nowhere in sight. "Where did he go?"

George spoke up. "Sorry Harry. We didn't mean to…"

"Give away that secret."

Harry shook his head. "Never mind. Do you still have the map?"

George nodded. "Of course. We wanted to give it to you personally." He pulled the map from his pocket and handed it over to Harry. "Here you go. Planning on going eavesdropping?"

Harry shook his head and spread it out. "No, I just want to know where Nico went. Ron, Hermione, help me look." It didn't take long to find him. Still, Harry was impressed. "Damn he is fast. What is on that part of the seventh floor?"

Fred frowned. "A broom cupboard. We hid there from Filch once. But why…" He blinked. "What in the name of Merlin? He disappeared?"

Fred was right. Nico had vanished from the seventh floor. Harry and his friends frantically searched the castle, but it was George who found him first. "Merlin's smelly socks! How did he get to the greenhouses that fast?!"

Harry turned when he heard Hermione's sharp intake of breath. "Hermione? Do you have an idea?"

Before she could speak, Ron answered. "How the bloody hell did he Disapparate? We don't start learning that before sixth year!"

"I don't think he Disapparated, Ron. How many times do I have to tell you? You can't Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts and its grounds."

Ron looked like he was about to come with a remark, but Harry cut in. "What are you thinking, Hermione?"

Hermione frowned, looking as Nico approached the Covered Bridge. "Remember when he first arrived here? How he tumbled from the shadow on that wall, and how he later manipulated that shadow to toss him his sword. That was Umbrakinesis. In 'Hogwarts: A History', there are a few references to wizards being able to travel through shadows. As I said back when Nico arrived here, practice of Umbrakinesis have been forbidden in Wizarding Europe for the last 500 years. However, those wizards being able to travel through shadows? That ability of theirs was the forerunner for modern Apparition. Even after Apparition became, well, almost common skill, there were some who preferred the older version, called Umbraportation as it was able to bypass wards. But it was far from being safe. You know about Splinching?" All boys nodded, remembering what Arthur Weasley told them about it. "Well, according to sources, Umbraportation had a much higher Splinching rate because it took a higher level of focus compared to Apparition. And unlike Splinching with Apparition, where the damage usually is repairable, the people who got Splinched during Umbraportation usually… they usually died, Harry. A case from 1385 tells of a wizard who got Splinched during an attempt at Umbraportation in London. They found his legs in the Thames, his arms in a pub in Bristol, his torso in Cardiff and his head was found in Edinburgh."

Harry allowed that to sink in. What Hermione was insinuating… he had a hard time believing it. A fifteen-year-old skilfully harnessing an older and more dangerous version of Apparition? Had Harry not seen his new classmate skill up close, he would not have believed it. But it seemed to be the only possible way. He remembered what Nico said about his powers being inherited. Was it possible that he was a descendant of one of those wizards? He looked at the Marauder's Map, a frown on his face. He had met up with the four people the twins mentioned. Then his eyes widened when he saw a dot near them.

"Who…"

He was cut off when McGonagall's voice resounded in the Gryffindor Common Room. "Hogwarts' wards have been breached and the castle is under lock-down. No students, I repeat no students, will be allowed outside your Common Rooms. To those of you who are not yet in your Common Room and are for whatever reason unable to reach it within five minute, please go to the nearest classroom and await a teacher or other personal to escort you to your Common Room or another safe location. Further instructions will be given once we have solved the situation. Hogwarts wards…"

The rest was drowned out by the sounds of many feet thundering down the stairs leading to the dormitories and Hermione quickly snatched the Map away and hid it. Harry noticed, with a small blush, that some of the older students were girls and boys from different Houses than Gryffindor. But no one else seemed to notice in the blurry of activity. There were several who tried forcing the portrait open from the inside, but it didn't budge. A murmur rippled through the crowd. Some seemed sure Sirius Black was back, while others had more outrageous ideas such as dragons attacking.

One thing was sure though, the common room was too crowded to speak freely and bring out the Map again. And there were too many people for them to get to the boys' dormitory. In short, for now, they were forced to stay put.

But it wasn't long. A sudden and violent flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and a clasp of thunder sounded. That itself, was not unusual, and Harry had noticed the storm clouds approaching the castle earlier. However, when several flashes of lightning lit the darkness outside, a first year approached the window.

"The Quidditch pitch is getting hit a lot."

Several students surged forward and looked out the window. Harry's frown deepened. He had never heard of several bolts of lightning hitting in the same vicinity. It was starting to smell an awful lot like magic. Then everything went black outside, before another bolt split the sky. Then something weird happened: The Gryffindor Tower, and probably the whole castle, shook. It was a light tremor; barely enough to make the cups on the table dance, but it was still there. Several of the younger students screamed, others went deadly pale. After then, everything went silent and dark. But then a second year shouted.

"The Quidditch pitch! It is burning!"

Shocked silence filled the common room, then shouting. No one paid notice to the fact that the lightning storm had stopped. Harry turned towards his friends. "You don't think…"

Hermione finished for him. "No, Harry. Umbrakinesis and dark fire are difficult to master, but not impossible. It is extraordinary that he can use them at such a young age, but summoning and manipulating a powerful raw element as lightning is something no mere grown wizard can do, much less a kid. The five basic elements, if you count lightning, are unpredictable forces to work with."

Ron frowned. "But wizards and witches manipulate water and fire all the time. So why?"

Hermione sighed. "Ron, grown wizards and witches do that. And it takes years to master. Also, fire and water are easy to manipulate. In nature, they just don't suddenly appear or change direction. Lightning and wind, or air if you will, does, and earth is too sturdy to manipulate."

"But the black fire…"

"Isn't a part of the five basic elements. It is a magical fire, created by the will and imagination of the wizard. There are several cases of magical fires, like Bluebell Flames, but they are not fire in its rawest form. The elements, in their rawest forms, are wild and uncontrollable." She got blank looks and she sighed. "Point is, it would take an exceptional powerful witch or wizard to conjure and control one of the five basic elements." She looked towards the window, now cleared from students. "I hope Nico is okay."

-End flashback-

They hadn't gotten the opportunity to pull out the Map later that evening, but they had decided to stay up and wait for when Nico got back. But when he hadn't returned by midnight, they had gone to bed. Or rather, Ron and Harry had pretended to go to bed, but in reality, they snuck back down to under the invisibility cloak where they were joined by Hermione. Two hours went by, and the boys had gone to bed while Hermione had stayed behind.

Hermione looked a bit flushed the next day, and embarrassed, though Harry was convinced that had to do with her falling asleep, but she had showed them those little clay beads she had saved from the fire. Not that they made things any clearer. Ron had asked if it wasn't more likely that a girl had gotten a necklace she didn't like and tossed it into the fire, to which Hermione had responded about Ron having an emotional range as a teaspoon.

Harry had just sighed. He didn't know when or how Nico got back to Gryffindor Tower, but he did know that he was currently in the Hospital Wing, having been dragged there by Neville after falling flat on his face. He shook his head. Neville had been unusual quiet this morning, looking like he too was going to fall. Moreover, before breakfast, Harry could have sworn he spotted traces of soot and dirt on the other boy's face. Harry had asked Neville if he had been outside Gryffindor Tower last night. When he answered yes, Harry had proceeded to describe what had happened, causing Neville to go pale. Harry had originally shrugged it off as shock, but after seeing him dragging Nico to the Hospital Wing, he was starting to think Neville was hiding something. Shaking his head, Harry sat down together with his friends, getting ready for Charms.

00000

Nico groaned. He hadn't had this kind of headache since the Stolls and Leo convinced him to drink with them. Moreover, his entire body felt like it had been used as a punching bag for the entire Cyclops army and then been trampled by an angry Minotaur. In short, it hurt like hell. It had hurt so bad that the moment he got out of bed in the morning, he fell to the ground. Seen in hindsight, he should have foreseen it, considering how much his muscles had protested last night. A hot shower could only dull the pains that much.

So now he found himself in the Hospital Wing, with lots of pillows in his back allowing him to sit up, having been dragged there by Neville. Nico had protested, saying that he didn't need to go to the Hospital. Neville had told him that he was going, and that was final. Besides, he had told Nico that Madam Pomfrey didn't ask questions. Nico had said that if Neville didn't stop, he would beat him to a pulp. Much to Nico's surprise, Neville had laughed, laughed of all things, and said that he would be far more concerned for his safety if Nico could stand. Nico had tried raising his hand to swat the taller boy's head, but had barely gotten it to chest height before he had to drop it.

The son of Hades had never felt so embarrassed and helpless. But Neville's smile and friendly teasing made Nico feel, well, good inside. He felt happy. Something he hadn't felt in years. And true to Neville's word, Madam Pomfrey didn't ask questions of sensitive matter. She just asked what he had been doing, to which the answer was exercising and spell training. The nurse had just given him a doubtful glance, then told him that he probably was suffering from Mana Exhaustion, a condition where one's magic reserves were severely drained; a condition not uncommon for young wizards overdoing it.

According to Madam Pomfrey, all that was needed was a lot of rest and one or two good nights' worth of sleep. Nico had insisted that he could do that just perfectly fine in his dormitory, but, much to his half felt annoyance, Neville had protested against that idea. With five other boys, he wouldn't get much rest there. And the school nurse had vetoed Nico's suggestion as well. So as much as he protested, the mighty son of Hades hadn't gotten a say on the matter and had been forced into taking a bed rest.

Nico sighed. That so little had drained and forced him, the Ghost King, to take it easy, was ridiculous. Then again, his fighting last night hadn't been his best. His focus had been far from perfect, making the shadows harder to control and his other tricks take up more energy than they should. Also, with him having to stretch his senses that far to sense Hazel's aura and having to keep up that shield for as long as he had, had taken more energy than he wanted to admit. Moreover, with his unfinished weapon, channelling his power through it seemed to drain him faster than he anticipated. In other words, he had better get back to his regular training schedule and hurry on completing his new weapon.

He closed his eyes. There wasn't much he could do about that now, not as long as he couldn't move. But he refused to waste his time lying here. Now might as well be a good way to figure out who Camp Half-Blood was likely to send as a 'rescue' team.

'Think, Nico. Camp Jupiter managed to track you here through auguries and their eagles. How will Camp Half-Blood do it?' He frowned, eyes still closed. 'It will have to be organized as a quest, but with more companions. In other words, Rachel will make a prophecy. But who will go? Percy is almost a given, since they will assume I'm being held against my will and it will take one more powerful than me to bust me out. And since Percy will be going, flying is almost out of the question. He will need someone to help with transport, making Leo the most likely candidate through Festus.' His frown deepened. 'Who will be the one tracking me? They don't have eagles to smell me out, but… satyrs. And it would be one familiar with my smell… so another candidate would be Grover. Still… they need more raw muscle power, and someone to assist Leo maintaining Festus on the long journey, which would mean Tyson would be another likely candidate for a companion, if he can get a leave from the undersea forges.'

Nico opened his eyes, and had people seen him, they would have noticed the darkening of his features. 'Those four, and, if I know Percy right, he will want Annabeth to join them as well. And if they can convince her, Thalia might join in with a few Hunters as well. Seems I won't have to return to the States… they will bring the fighting to me. Well, that suits me just fine.'

Nico was interrupted from his murderous line of thought when he heard voices outside the curtain. "Professor Umbridge, what can I do for you?"

He heard the DADA Professor's false sweet voice. "Mr di Angelo did not show up for breakfast and he missed Headmaster Dumbledore announcement. Furthermore, he did not show up for classes. You wouldn't happen to know where he is?"

Poppy, as Nico had learned was the name of the nurse, replied in a tense voice. "Mr di Angelo is currently a patient of mine, Professor Umbridge. He seems to have overdone it with practice, and is currently down with Mana Exhaustion. That is all I can tell you."

The voices seemed to come from the middle of the Hospital Wing, three beds away from Nico. Professor Umbridge responded. "Mana Exhaustion? You wouldn't happen to know how or why he suffers from it?"

Nico glanced out through a little opening in his curtains, just in time to see Madam Pomfrey tense up. "I did not ask why or how. It is not my place to ask personal questions."

Umbridge chuckled. "Personal questions? Madam Pomfrey, you do know what happened last night I assume? How the Quidditch pitch got badly damaged?"

Poppy let out small snort, clearly not impressed. "Professor Umbridge, are you seriously accusing my patient for wracking havoc on a stadium that have stood for almost a century? No fifteen-year-old wields the power necessary for such extensive damages."

Umbridge smiled. "But as a teacher, I have to make sure that every suspect is interviewed. Would you please wake him?"

They were just outside his curtain now. "Professor Umbridge, Nico di Angelo is a patient of mine and thus his welfare is my responsibility. And right now, he needs to rest." Nico saw a hand that could only belong to the High Inquisitor, poke through the curtain. "Professor Umbridge, I will have to ask you to leave my patient alone. He needs to rest to recover."

As if to underline that statement, Nico chose that moment to groan in pain. But that was just as much due to him lowering himself into a lying a position. He closed his eyes just in time as Dolores pulled the curtain aside. "Mr di Angelo, wake up. I've some questions for you."

Nico just groaned, but he heard Poppy Pomfrey quite clearly. "Professor Umbridge, this has gone on long enough. He is under no obligation to answer your questions."

The air seemed to shift, making Nico realize that Umbridge had turned to face the matron of the Hospital Wing. Daring opening his eyes, he saw the furious eyes of Poppy Pomfrey. The High Inquisitor spoke, but her voice was no longer honey-sweet. "Madam Pomfrey, you are interfering with my duty as a teacher and Hogwarts Inquisitor. I was appointed by the Minister of Magic himself. I…"

Nico saw the nurse's nostrils flare dangerously. And the look she was giving the DADA would have sent most monsters running the other way. "I don't care if you were Morgana le Fay herself, Dolores. I repeat, Nico di Angelo is for the moment my charge, and he doesn't have to answer any of your inquiries."

Nico, even though he was squinting, could see Dolores Umbridge getting an interesting shade of red. "Madam Pomfrey, you are being most disrespectful. Moreover, you are severely hindering an official at work. I respect your work here and I would hate to put you on probation."

Poppy Pomfrey's eyes darkened and her eyes were a combination of blazes and thunderbolts, figuratively speaking. Hell, even with his sore muscles, Nico flinched. 'Okay, I don't care if I'm the son of Hades. That gaze will make even the bravest and dumbest of demigod, monster, god and Titan turn tail and run. Okay, perhaps I'm exaggerating, but still: She. Is. Scary. When. Angry.'

The matron's voice belied her anger when she spoke.

"If you think putting me on probation will help, Madam Umbridge, you are wrong. Even if you were to sack me, the result will not change. It is not just the nurses at St. Mungo's that take an oath. Hogwarts' school nurses are also sworn to silence as part of our professional secrecy and confidentiality. It was one of the four Founders first laws: The Hospital Wing at Hogwarts is to be a safe haven for the students of Hogwarts. The Hospital Wing is a place they can come with any problem at any time of day, be it home sickness, abuse at home or pregnancy, without the risk of facing judgement from teachers and students alike. They don't have to tell me anything about their conditions, much less you. I write down my findings, but they are not to, and will not, see public daylight unless the student in question wishes so. That is the law of the Founders of Hogwarts, it predates the Ministry itself. In other words, neither you nor the Minister himself can do anything to change that. So if you want to put me on probation or sack me, go ahead. But until then, let me tend to my patient."

Umbridge, who had seemed to shrink under the nurse's gaze and speech, puffed herself up. Nico, not being in the mood for a bout of shouting, nor having the head for it, decided to put in his two cents. Slowly opening his eyes fully, he schooled his face into one of terror, eyes wide, and looking right at Umbridge he started screaming.

"Help! Please help me! A troll! A pink troll! Please, don't let it eat me! Please, somebody, help!"

Both women turned to look at him, Umbridge turning an interesting shade of purple. "Who are you calling…!"

She didn't get to say much more, for Madam Pomfrey pushed her aside and started fussing over Nico. "Oh dear, the poor boy is suffering from hallucinations. And he is burning up. Professor Umbridge, I will have to tell you go leave the Hospital Wing now. My patient needs my full attention."

The High Inquisitor, still purple in the face, didn't as much respond to be being addressed like that. Instead, she stormed out of the Hospital Wing, slamming the doors as she left. All the while, Madam Pomfrey was checking on Nico. However, once the DADA Professor was out, she stopped fussing around and levelled the teenager on the bed with a stern, yet somewhat indulgent and amused look. "Mr di Angelo, you can drop the act now. We both know you don't have a fewer, nor are you having hallucinations. Keeping the act up will be insulting my intelligence and professionalism. The day where I can't tell the difference between true hallucinations or faking haven't come to pass any more than the day where I can't tell the difference between a dog bite compared to the one of a dragon."

Nico instantly stopped faking, a sheepish smile gracing his lips. "Sorry Madam Pomfrey, I did not mean to insinuate you don't know your stuff." The smile was replaced with a smirk. "Unlike a certain DADA Professor. Besides, she was going to give me a headache. And you have to admit, that was funny."

Perhaps Nico imagined it, but he thought he saw the nurse's lips twitch. "Even if it was, it was not smart to call Professor Umbridge a troll to her face. Also, it is very unwise to accuse a teacher of this school not to know his or her subject."

Nico shrugged, but instantly regretted it because of the pain in his shoulders. "I'm just saying what everybody else is thinking." Then a curious glance entered his eyes. "Teenage pregnancy?"

Madam Pomfrey just sighed. "You weren't born to remember the 1960's. Even we here at Hogwarts were affected by the revolution." For some reason, Nico's face darkened slightly. "Would there be anything else, Mr di Angelo?"

"No… yes. Do you…" he swallowed. Being so dependent on and asking others for help were something unusual for him. It was both annoying and embarrassing. But he swallowed his pride. "Do you… think you could prop me up a little? I would like to read a bit." Nico hated having to ask for help for something so simple, but considering how much getting into a lying position by himself hurt, he didn't want to imagine how much it would hurt to raise himself up. But Madam Pomfrey didn't as much as bat an eyelash, she just helped him to a halfway-sitting, halfway-lying position, without causing him any pain. "Thank you."

Madam Pomfrey just nodded and then walked away. Nico put on his glasses and started reading up on Transfiguration.

00000

It was hours later when Nico woke up from a little nap. He was just in time to see the boy with sandy coloured hair from his first day enter the infirmary being supported by two girls that seemed to be twins. The boy's hair was singed, and his face an interesting colour of grey. The two girls lowered the boy onto the bed next to Nico.

"Are you okay Seamus?"

It was the girl wearing the Gryffindor emblem on her cloak who asked the question while what could only be her sister had an amused smile on her lips. Nico had to admit, he guessed the girls looked, in lack of better words, hot, but something told him the conversation might be a bit more interesting.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks Parvati and Padma. Next time I think of igniting one of Fred and George's rockets, hit me."

Nico couldn't help but snort, drawing attention to himself. He grew a bit uncomfortable when both girls looked at him, blushed, before they started giggling. So it was somewhat of a relief when Seamus spoke up. "Hey, what are ya laughing…" then he saw who he was addressing and he paled. "Oh…eh, hi, Nico… was it?"

Nico suppressed a smirk. He had clearly made an impression on the other boy with his arrival and the following day. "Yeah, Nico di Angelo. I'm sorry, I know I have been here for a few weeks and we sleep in the same dormitory, but I can't remember your surname."

Seamus, still a bit nervous with the other boy, relaxed slightly. "Seamus. Seamus Finnigan. And those two lovely ladies are Parvati and Padma Patil. Padma is in Ravenclaw though." The girls nodded shyly in response. "So… uhm, Nico, why are you here?"

Nico just shrugged, taking great relief in the fact that his shoulders didn't hurt anymore. "Mana Exhaustion from overdoing it yesterday evening. And you willing lit some of Fred and George Weasley's firework? Even I know not to do that."

Seamus scowled, before a sheepish grin settled on his face when he realized Nico was just teasing him. "Yeah, I guess I should have realized that wasn't the smartest of ideas." Then he frowned. "Wait, how did ya get into Common Room last night? The school was under lockdown because of the trouble outside."

Nico shot him a quizzical look before shrugging. "I didn't know we were under lockdown. I was just working out in a room and practicing spells when I suddenly blacked out. Next thing I know, it is three in morning and I'm dragging myself back to the tower. Then I woke up, and, yeah, you know the rest."

Seamus smirked. "Yeah, I know. I have to admit, I've never seen anyone fall flat on his face like ya did." That remark earned two light swats on the head and a pillow thrown at him. Rubbing his head lightly, Seamus grinned, but then he grew sober. "Listen, Nico, I've been thinking."

Nico had instantly taken notice of the other boy's change, so he didn't throw out a comment about Seamus and thinking. "About what?"

Seamus frowned. "About not believing everything you read or hear. And that I should think for myself. Do you honestly believe what Harry has been saying 'bout You-Know-Who being back?"

Nico, sighed, knowing that Seamus and the two girls were waiting for his response with utmost interest. Mulling his answer over, Nico responded slowly. "I cannot say. I don't know enough about what happened last summer. But I would like to ask you this: Who told you that Harry is lying about this Voldemort, or as most of you people like to call him, You-Know-Who, being back? Who is telling you that Harry is insane?"

Seamus frowned. "Well, it has been in the Daily Prophet. And my mam is telling me that Harry must be crazy to think that You-Know-Who is back and only wants more attention."

Parvati nodded. "Practically everybody is saying it."

Nico sighed. There they had the problem. "Just because everybody else is saying it doesn't mean they are right."

Seamus frowned. "Are you calling my mam a liar?"

The son of Hades shook his head. "No. Your mother has come to have her opinion fair and square, and she is of course entitled to have that opinion and share it with others." Nico held up his hand to silence the question that was sure to come following his statement. "And no, I'm not saying I think Harry or Dumbledore are crazy either. Well, I can't say the thought about how Professor Dumbledore being slightly, what was the word, bonkers, hasn't crossed my mind, but Harry seems quite clear in the head. I haven't known Harry for long, but from what I can tell so far, he isn't the type who wants attention. It makes no sense for him to be lying about this Volde- oh c'mon, would you stop flinching already, it is only a name. As I said, it makes no sense for Harry to claim this Voldemort dude is back just for attention. It isn't in his character. I've read a couple of old newspapers from before and after the summer break, but it doesn't make sense. Before the summer, they mention that the boy that died, Cedric Diggory, looked like he was killed by a Killing Curse. From what I have read of your past curriculums, the Killing Curse doesn't leave a visible mark. Later, they claim the death of Cedric Diggory was a tragic accident. Are you following me so far?"

Seamus and the two girls nodded. Padma spoke for them. "Please continue."

Nico nodded, though he felt tiredness starting to catch up with him. "I don't believe anyone would cast the Killing Curse on accident. And let us assume it was on purpose, it sure as hell wasn't Harry casting it. He doesn't have it in him to kill." He sighed. "As I said, I haven't known Harry for long, but I can't picture him lying about something so severe to get attention. Perhaps you can mention, having known him for four years, even if you have only shared a dormitory with him, any incident when Harry has wanted special attention or fame?"

Seamus and the girls frowned deeply. Then all three of them slumped and Seamus spoke. "No, I can't mention any situation like that."

Both girls nodded as well, a sad and shameful expression on their faces. Nico spoke in a low voice. "Seamus, your mother doesn't know Harry. Have they ever met?" Seamus held up one finger. "Once? They have met once?" A nod. "Meeting someone once isn't enough to make a lasting impression on one. Your mother have spent the whole summer listening to a newspaper that is loyal to the Ministry, who sent Professor Umbridge, and has thus come to the conclusion that Harry and Professor Dumbledore have lost their marbles. That is understandable. You, however, have known Harry for four years but are listening more to some outside source that have never met Harry instead of listening to what your own mind and heart tell you. Tell me, what is your mind telling you right now? Do your experiences and knowledge about Harry match the one the newspaper is trying to feed you?"

Seamus shook his head. "I've have never… thought about it like that. You are right; Harry ain't the type that seeks attention. Everything he has done… he has only done it because it needed to be done and no one else was man enough to do it. He didn't do all of those things because he wanted to… he did because he felt he had to." The Irish boy lowered his head. "Merlin, I've been such a prick."

Parvati put a hand on Seamus' shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. We have all behaved like jerks towards Harry."

Seamus turned towards Nico. "I'm sorry I've been such a prat."

Nico let out a snort. "Wrong guy. You should be apologizing to Harry and his friends, not me."

Seamus nodded, his face forlorn and eyes downcast and doubtful. "I know… but would Harry listen? I mean, considering how I have acted?"

Nico shrugged. "I don't know. But if I have judged Harry right, it isn't in his nature to hold grudges." He yawned. "I'm sorry, but I think I will take a nap. But I think you should give my words some thoughts and start thinking for yourselves instead of listening so much to a newspaper whose reporters might only have met Harry once or twice."

With that he closed his eyes, and it wasn't long before he was asleep again, and as such, he didn't see the looks of admiration the girls were giving him, or hear Seamus Finnigan whispering "Thank you. I will."

00000

Nico must have been more tired than he initially thought, for when he woke again, it was night outside. What woke him was a tingling down his neck. Opening his eyes, he sat up, this time without any pain, and called out. "Show yourselves. I know you are there."

Four shapes drifted through the curtain, taking up position by the end of his bed. They were definitely ghosts. Going from the left to the right, Nico instantly recognized Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, alias Nearly Headless Nick, as a second year had pointed him out to be Gryffindor House ghost. Next to him was the ghost of a tall woman with waist-long hair and a floor-length cloak. Next to her floated the form a plump little man with brown hair that looked a lot like a monk. On the far right was a pearly white ghost with staring black eyes and a gaunt face. He carried some chains and wore a curly powdered wig and sword and his robes were filled with silver bloodstains.

The Ghost King narrowed his eyes. "Do you know who I'm?"

All ghosts nodded and spoke as one. "Yes milord. You are a son of Lord Hades."

Nico's eyes narrowed even more. "And yet you willingly seek me out, after I deliberately have avoided you? Who are you? And make it quick, before I send you to my father's realm."

Nearly Headless Nick went first. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Gryffindor House ghost, at your service."

The woman was next, her voice derisive, on the border of sounding bored. "Helena Ravenclaw, daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw and granddaughter of the goddess Athena. Ghost of Ravenclaw House."

Next up was the monk. "Patrick Hufflepuff, son of Helga Hufflepuff and grandson of the goddess of hearth and home, Lady Hestia. But you can call me the Fat Friar, everybody else does and I have nothing against it. I'm the ghost of Hufflepuff house. Nice to meet you young master."

The man with the blood stains was last. "Markus Yorkshire. I was the Earl of Yorkshire. I'm the Slytherin House ghost." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "And don't think you can boss me around, boy. I've seen and heard of the sons of Hades over the years."

Nico raised his eyebrows, his voice turning dangerous cold. "I beg your pardon?"

Nick shot the Bloody Baron a reproachful look. "I'm sorry young master, he meant no offence."

The son of Hades was not impressed. "Really? Cause I'm quite sure he did. And even if he didn't, it doesn't change the fact that you are where you shouldn't be. Tell me, what are you doing here? And better yet, why shouldn't I send you to face judgement?"

"Because we want to be here." It was the patronizing voice of Helena Ravenclaw who answered him. "As to why… the answer is simple: Because you can't."

Nico was getting halfway out of bed, but a pain in his legs told him he better stay put. Glaring at the impudent woman, he growled. "What you want is not really my concern. You say I can't banish you… only one way to find out if that claim is true, right?"

The Fat Friar held up his hands. "Now, now, young Hades son, no need to get hasty and to act rashly. How about we explain and you can decide what to do?" Nico nodded hesitantly. "Excellent. First, I guess the Sorting Hat told you a bit about the Founders, their connection to the gods and the gods quarrel about Hogwarts?"

Nico nodded. "Yes. The Founders were demigods. A son of Poseidon, a son of Hades, a daughter of Athena and a daughter of Hestia. The latter, I guessed, gave 'birth' to her daughter the same way Athena does?" The Friar nodded. "It also told me how Zeus demanded that his brothers wouldn't sire another demigod child for three centuries, but Poseidon broke that deal after two. Furious, Zeus tried destroying the school, but my father and uncle stopped him. They later made a pact that said that Hogwarts was to be a ground where their demigod children could fight without fear for retribution and even travel the others' domains."

Nearly Headless Nick nodded. "That is about the gist of it. What it might not have mentioned is that when Lords Zeus, Poseidon and Hades realized that with this population of neither mere mortal nor demigod and legacies rising, Lady Hecate's power and standing among the gods would increase. Not wanting a civil war with demigods and legacies on one side and wizards and witches on another, and, feeling threatened by the possibility of Hecate's rise in rank, the other Olympians put pressure on Zeus who in turn put pressure on his brothers. I think that it was the factor that Lady Hecate was gaining ground and power that was the deciding factor for the three brothers to work together again. As a response to the, after their opinion, growing threat, they agreed that all ties with the Wizarding world would have to be severed. No more demigod children were to be born into the wizard families and send to Hogwarts."

Nico tilted his head. Sounded a lot like how the gods would react. "Am I right in assuming Lady Hecate wasn't happy with this decision?"

The Fat Friar nodded. "She wasn't. In order to stop another war, this one among themselves, they made a compromise. If Hecate was to give up her realm, she wanted to be sure that the Olympians would not use the wizards against her. As a result, all of the gods swore off their control of the Wizard world. It was to be a world of its own, and all of the gods swore to never interfere with it again, no matter what happens in it, nor would their children be deliberately sent to act in their stead. Lord Hades was probably the one who got the biggest headache out of that agreement as a departed wizard's soul was still his jurisdiction. As long as the wizard was alive, everything was fine. But when the wizard died, his soul travelled to the Underworld and as result, it would be in conflict with their agreement. Lord Hades came up with a solution that was surprisingly simple: The wizard or witch could decide whether he or she wanted to go rest in the afterlife, or return to the realm of the living. But the offer wasn't unconditionally. If the wizard or witch decided to go on to the afterlife, he or she would be judged like anyone else, with the extra twist of the Founders, Merlin himself and worst deceased enemy being added to the judges. If the wizard decided to return as a ghost, there would be no going back on his decision. No chance for rebirth, no chance for rest, no nothing. We are bound watch the living come and go for eternity."

The Bloody Baron glared. "So you see now, brat? Even if you banished us to the realm of your father, we would be back here the next day. It would be a never ending circle. Or rather, it would end. You see, you are not the first son of Hades to threaten us with banishment. A few of them did just that, and that is why we know we will return. But your dear father got tired of wizard ghosts entering and leaving his realm that he decreed that for every time one of his mortal children banished us, it would be harder for the next one. You want to try your luck? Go ahead. It is not all of us who are such cowards as that Binns."

Nico's mind was whirring with information. All of that was hard to take in, even for him. But he got his thoughts under control. "But what about the souls of the wizards and witches before the agreement?"

Helena Ravenclaw snorted. "Are you really that dense, boy? They were not part of the agreement, but Lord Hades tracked the most notable ones, such as us older ones and offered us the same deal."

Nico narrowed his eyes. "Do not test me, granddaughter of Athena. I may not be able to banish you, but you have not said anything about me not being able to punish you." The ghosts, even if it was only for the fraction of a second, exchange uneasy looks, confirming Nico's suspicion. He could punish them. "Binns is right to thread carefully around me. And you would be wise to do the same. I will let your impudence slide… this once. Cross me again, and you will face my wrath. But tell me: Do the Headmaster know who I am?"

The Fat Friar shook his head. "No, young master, he does not. Why should he?"

Nico sighed. "Despite what some wizards think, Headmaster Dumbledore is not stupid, nor is he senile. His mind and wit is among the sharpest I've ever met. Combine that with the little fight I just had, and the Sorting Hat having to tell the current Headmaster or Headmistress of the existence of the gods, he will soon be on my case.

Nearly Headless Nick frowned. "Who told you that the Sorting Hat is obliged to tell the resident Headmaster or Headmistress of the gods?"

Nico blinked. "The Sorting Hat. Why?"

The Gryffindor Ghost sighed. "Because it is not true. The Sorting Hat has no such obligation. Rather, it is the opposite."

Nico frowned, his mind not quite catching on, as it was still processing all the information he had been told that night. "What do you mean?"

Nearly Headless Nick sighed. "Before the gods swore off their control of the wizard world, they had all who knew of their existence sworn to secrecy. No magical portrait, ghost, the Sorting Hat or their demigod-wizard offspring were to reveal their continued existence to a wizard ever again." He sighed, though Nico could have sworn he saw a small amused smile grace the lips of the ghost. "It would seem that the Sorting Hat pulled a fast one on you, young son of Hades. It was probably its way of telling you to be careful."

Nico blinked once. Then he blinked twice. And he blinked thrice before the words of the Gryffindor House ghost sank in and their implications made themselves clear. When they did, he started swearing and cursing at the Sorting Hat in English, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Ancient Greek. In his mind, he imagined that the Sorting Hat was laughing its patches off. 'Outwitted by a hat… I, the Ghost King, was outwitted by a goddamn hat of all things!'

The son of Hades slowly calmed himself. He would have his revenge against that old piece of headwear, but for now, he would focus on the ghosts. "Why did you not approach me sooner?"

Nearly Headless Nick bowed his head, but not too much. "We found it unwise to approach you while surrounded by the other students. Was that wrong, milord?"

Nico shook his head. "No, it wasn't. I take it the other ghosts know who I'm as well?" All four nodded. "Then make sure they do not approach me while I'm with the students or the teachers. And thank you for the information. You have been most helpful. Now, please, leave."

With that Nico di Angelo's eyes closed once more, sleep claiming him the moment the four House ghosts left.

00000

Thalia Grace, Lieutenant of Artemis was not happy. They had been in Great Britain for weeks, and so far, there were no traces of a Dementor or Nico di Angelo. Their primary mission was to hunt down and kill one or more of those Dementors, but they had promised to help in the search of Nico. But most of the Hunters didn't really care about finding him and couldn't see why they had to search for a mere demigod boy. It didn't make it any better that Erica, a Hunter who was almost as powerful as Thalia, was challenging her for the title of Lieutenant of Artemis. The goddess, their arguing having become too much for, had decided that a contest between them would determine who would be her lieutenant. Fifteen missions each and the most successful would be her second in command.

Thalia sighed. Erica had, like Thalia, been about fifteen years old when Artemis took her in. She was Thalia's height with blond hair and green eyes. Not much was known of her parentage, but Thalia suspected she might be a daughter of Hecate. Not that it was important to Thalia. What was important was that Erica was in the lead with thirteen to Thalia's twelve. Erica was self-confident, prideful, and a skilled fighter. Thalia sighed, remembering their last mission.

-Flashback start-

They had been tracking Lycaon and his wolves for weeks. They were currently in Berkeley Hills, overlooking a great field. The stars and the moon illuminated the plain and in the east, they could see the outline of an old style aqueduct and a town. Phoebe, who was their best tracker, was kneeling at the ground.

"These are definitely the footprints of Lycaon and his minions. But there are also the footprints of a lot of humans and an elephant. Though, what an elephant would be doing here, I have no idea." She stood up. "Erica, you are in charge. What shall we do?"

Erica stepped forward. "We continue. This might be our chance for putting an end to Lycaon and his pack. This time we won't fail, and this time, no ignorant boy will get in our way."

Thalia sighed bitterly. It was six months ago and been the start of the contest between her and Erica. They, like now, had been tracking Lycaon for a few weeks and ended up somewhere in Rocky Mountains. Thalia had been the one in command at the time and a storm was coming up, so she had decided to seek shelter in a cave. That would prove to be a fatal mistake. Lycaon and his forces had managed to divide the hunters into three groups. One stuck in the cave and two in the open, making them easy prey for weather and wolves. Their situation would have become very desperate but Thalia had felt it necessary to call for aid through an IM to Chiron.

Many of the Hunters had been displeased with her decision, especially since their only reinforcement had been Nico di Angelo. However, despite being only one, he had managed to annoy and thus divert the wolves' attention enough for the Hunters to collect the remains of their fallen sisters and for them to regroup to launch a counterattack.

They had survived with minimal casualties because of Nico's quick intervention, but most of the Hunters, especially Erica, had thought it embarrassing and disgraceful to need help, and from a boy no less, and had told him that they had everything under control without saying thanks. Thalia had seen the clenching of Nico's jaw and his parting words still stood clear in her mind.

"I see. Then I hope that the next you encounter Lycaon and his friends, you will be able to control the situation better without my annoying interference."

Which was a nice way of saying: Next time you are in trouble; don't count on me coming to save your sorry asses from the fire.

Many lives had been spared, but seeing how they had failed in killing Lycaon, the mission counted as a failure. She looked up when Phoebe spoke. "Lieutenant, are you coming? We are waiting."

Thalia shook her head. "Sorry, I was just thinking back on our past mission."

Erica sneered. "The one you butchered up for us, you mean? Well, this time, it will be different."

Thalia had a very scathing remark on her tongue, but she stopped it alongside with the urge to blast her rival. Instead, she said. "I hope you are right. We don't want to make more mistakes like that."

They spend a few minutes in silence as they started walking across the plain. They didn't want to get too close to the city, and what looked like a fortification just west of the city. However, they all thought it weird that there would be a city and a fortification in the middle of nowhere when neither was marked on their maps. They didn't get much time to ponder it, however, for soon the sound metal against metal and explosions reached their ears. It was the sound of battle. Looking at each other, the Hunters hurried forward. The source of the battle proved to be five humans fighting. It was four against one. However, the one who was fighting the other four was holding his or her ground, driving the other four back with a sword.

Erica spoke up. "She is good, that one. We should try recruiting her."

Thalia looked. Sure enough, the lone fighter was a female. But she wasn't only keeping the other group at bay with a sword. The very earth they were fighting on seemed to shift beneath their feet. And when the female fighter made a sweeping motion with one arm, the earth rose up between her and an attacker who tried getting her on the left. The force of the rock rising knocked the attacker off and Thalia's eyes went wide when she recognized the unfortunate warrior as Annabeth. So when the lone warrior raised a block of stone the size of a Humvee and levitated it above the daughter of Athena, Thalia opened fire. The arrow hit the female opponent in the shoulder, but it didn't stick. Instead, it bounced off, but it definitely got the geokinetic demigod's attention as instead of flattening Annabeth with the rock, she hurled it towards the Hunters. When it was ten metres away, the rock exploded, showering the immortal girls with sharp pieces of stone and debris.

Their clothes and skin torn, the Hunters of Artemis released a volley after Erica saying they shouldn't try to recruit the one who just attacked them and an ally. But the hostile demigod raised her hand and all of the arrows suddenly stopped in mid-air. Then all of the Hunters had to dive out of the way when the arrows turned and flew in their direction.

For how long they fought, Thalia didn't know. Their attacks had no effect on the girl they were fighting. All of them just bounced off. And the girl was a skilled fighter for according to one of the demigods, their opponent had been unarmed when they first encountered her, but she had managed to disarm him and take his sword. If Thalia's memory didn't fail her, he was one of Annabeth's brothers. Thalia looked around. Annabeth had disappeared.

Then, the fighting stopped. And the reason soon became clear as Annabeth pulled off her cap. She had found a hole in the girl's diamond armour. The fight was over, even as the girl pushed the daughter of Athena away, dagger still in her side. But there was no time to celebrate as another demigod shouted.

"Annabeth! Get out of there!"

A leather pouch sailed through the air and hit the unfortunate girl. It stuck to her as it started billowing green smoke. Thalia gasped. "Greek fire!? Are you guys nuts?! Get it off her!"

Erica shouted over her. "No time! Take cover!"

The poor girl was screaming her lungs out. Then, the pouch exploded in green flames and the girl said no more.

-End flashback-

Much to their shock, the girl had somehow survived the explosion, most likely by turning her very skin to diamond, but Thalia would never forget the broken form lying before them. She had yelled at the demigod, especially the one who threw the Greek fire, another brother of Annabeth, but their shouting match had been interrupted with Erica wanting to put an end to the girl's suffering. But they never got that far, because during the argument that followed between Thalia and Erica, an elephant of all things had snuck up on them and charged. And it was pissed and made its intention quite clear when it tried stamping on Erica. It had chased Annabeth's team and the Hunters all the way back to Berkeley Hills, barely giving the Hunters time to retrieve their weapons.

Thalia sighed. They had barely had time to talk afterwards. Only thing Annabeth told them was that they had been on a secret mission, but they couldn't tell for whom. Their mission was to sneak into town and capture the one that kept Camp Half-Blood from knowing about an enemy and a spy. The girl, who claimed she was waiting for her boyfriend, had spotted them and called them out, demanding that they reveal their identities and purpose. They had tried tricking her with the Mist, but that had not worked out so well. Then they had tried knocking her out, but she had proved to be a demigod with geokinetic powers and had been more than a match for them. And now Nico had been attacked as well. The daughter of Zeus was starting to think there might be a connection to those two events.

"Hey, Thalia, are you listening?"

Thalia blinked. "Sorry, seemed to space out there for a moment. What did you say, Phoebe?"

Erica sighed. "She found an article from some newspaper that might be of interest to us. The newspaper is apparently called the Daily Prophet. In this article, they mention that a boy named Nico di Angelo appeared in some castle called Hogwarts some weeks ago. More importantly, it mentions that after their sports arena was destroyed last night, the Minister is considering sending Dementors to guard this Hogwarts."

Thalia frowned. Why would a mortal send monsters to guard a castle? A castle that in all likelihood was the school the prophecy mentioned? It didn't make any sense. But for now, it didn't matter. They finally had a lead on Nico's whereabouts. And they would have to let Percy and Annabeth know. Filled with new determination, Thalia spoke. "Let's go to this Hogwarts and find Nico. Who knows, maybe we might find out more about those Dementors and that mission Annabeth mentioned."

Erica nodded. "For once, I agree with you. Also, if we reach this Hogwarts before that boy and his friends and free that son of Hades before they get there, we will prove that those two sons of the Big Three aren't the most powerful fighters out there."

Thalia halfway opened her mouth to protest and urge them to be cautious. But she knew it wouldn't do her any good. Alongside self-confidence, her fighting skills, pride and power, Erica was also very charismatic, and had the support of more than half of the Hunters. Her telling them to be cautious would only lead to further arguments. And an argument would only delay them in finding out about more this Hogwarts and get to Nico. And the more they delayed, the greater was the risk of Hades declaring war and starting a manhunt on every demigod out there. Her resolve steeled, she squared her jaw. "Let's go."

The other Hunters nodded and started walking north. Thalia knew in her heart that they were on the right track and that finding Nico before the Dementors was the right thing to. And yet, as they headed past Leeds, she couldn't quell the feeling that finding Nico di Angelo would be a mistake.

End chapter 8

AN: Whew, that was harder to write than I initially thought. Especially the last part. Might have to rewrite that a bit…. Hmmm. And to answer a few questions that you might have after reading this chapter:

Why did I have Seamus, Parvati and Padma meet Nico in the Hospital Wing: I was very miffed at how Rowling just had Seamus believe his mother and the Daily Prophet after knowing Harry for four years. Even if they have only shared a dorm, they ought to be closer. Admittedly, he came around, but it was way too late. So I had Nico talk some sense into him. Considered having Nico smack some sense into him with his bo-staff, but nixed the idea.

And I included the girls in that scene because Nico/Parvati and Nico/Padma are among the pairings I'm considering. And no, the pairing won't be permanent. A few months, most likely four, (story time) is the max Nico's relationship is going to last. The other pairings I'm considering are Nico/Hermione and Nico/Cho. The reasons I'm not considering Nico/Luna are 1) that pairing have been done many times and 2) Luna is one of the few characters whose, no matter how many times I read the books and watch the movies, line of thinking I just can't get to understand.

Lastly, as I said, I'm open to suggestions. But they have to be well reasoned and backed up by good reasoning. Saying, 'No, I don't like that pairing. It creeps me out' is not what I consider a good reasoning.

Anyways, sorry for the long AN. If you have any questions pertaining to the chapter, feel free to ask.

Time for the anonymous reviews:

guest123547698 3/14/13 . chapter 7

Wow, I thought that instead of Neville it would be draco... But truthfully, I think I like it better this way.

**Response: Glad you approve. In my very early planning, it was going to be either Draco or Harry, but then I decided on Neville as someone gave me an idea to have Nico and Neville becoming friends. **

CKG 3/13/13 . chapter 7

that was n amazing storyyouve got toupdate imust know hats hPpened

**Response: Thank you. **

Guest 3/11/13 . chapter 7

Keep it coming cannot wait for chapter 8 (:

**Response: Well, you will always have to wait for a chapter to come out I'm afraid. But this was chapter 8. **

Guest 3/10/13 . chapter 7

Good story!

**Response: Thanks. **

Guest 3/4/13 . chapter 7

You have no idea how glad I am you updated. I would literally check every hour of my free time if you had updated. This is my absolute favorite story on . Update soon!

**Response: Heh, every hour of your free time? I'm flattered. I'm happy you think so highly of the story and are enjoying it so much **** But I'm afraid I don't know when I will update next. **

AlysSa 3/3/13 . chapter 7

UPDATE soon! This story is really good! How will the Golden Trio react to Nico's true nature?

**Response: Thank you. I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Hope this was soon enough. How they will react to Nico's true nature… I assume you mean his darker powers… I will answer that when we get that far in the story.**

lak 3/2/13 . chapter 7

i love your story!  
>do update fast<br>i cant wait to read further

**Response: Thank you. Always encouraging learning that people enjoy one's story. But I'm afraid you will have to wait for the update. **

Guest 3/2/13 . chapter 7

Thank u for the response of my comment. I am the Guest. I think that Nico should go with an OC because none of the people from Hogwarts match with his dark personality.

**Response: Which one of them? As you can see, I've quite a few who are named Guest XD. I considered hooking Nico up with an OC, but it is my experience that OCs are a pain in the a**. I can already feel the headache coming from having to make Erica, so I want to avoid OCs if I can. As for them not matching with his dark personality… well, I never said they would have to. Most teenagers don't find their perfect match. **

MusicCurls 3/1/13 . chapter 7

(Couldn't be bothered to sign in :P)

Question: Will Nico ever tell Jason about Thalia? I mean it's a big part of the whole Greek/Roman thing.  
>Other than that, great chapter and your way of writing is simply superb. Can't wait for the next update.<p>

**Response: Lazy :P Please, next time, sign in. Makes it much easier to respond. XD. To answer your question: Maybe. I haven't really thought on that matter yet. And thank you: I try my best. But I'm afraid you will have to wait for chapter 9. **

Guest 3/1/13 . chapter 7

Updaaaaaate! This is so awesome, I love this story!

**Response: Thank you **** I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. **

Awesome 2/28/13 . chapter 7

oh well, what to say? still AWESOME i guess...  
>Update! i just luuuuuurve the fight scenes.<p>

**Response: Thank you. I'm happy to hear you approve of the fight scenes. They weren't easy to write. But I'm afraid you will have to wait for the update. **

Guest 2/28/13 . chapter 7

what about percy nico still likes him right?

**Response: Hard to say. Right now, Nico ain't too happy with any from Camp Half-Blood. **


	9. Chapter 9

AN: A little warning: This chapter contains what some people consider underage drinking. That being said, here is chapter nine of 'Dark Phoenix.'

Chapter 9: Making Their Move

Albus Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully, popping a sherbet lemon into his mouth. "Are you certain of this, Severus?"

The Potions master nodded. "Positive, Headmaster. Nico di Angelo is not just a skilled Occlumens, but he is also well versed in the art of Legilimency as well. It took a lot of concentration on my part to look into his memories and blocking mine from him. And the few times I've succeeded, it was most likely because he let down his guard."

Next to him, Minerva McGonagall let out soft breath. "Umbrakinesis, Black Fire, Occlumency and now Legilimency as well; all at the mere age of fifteen years old. Had I not seen some of these things and witnessed his prodigious abilities in Transfiguration myself, I would have said your mouth was full of flies had you told me all this." Her gaze turned to the oldest wizard in the room. "But Albus, surely you can't think him responsible for the destruction of the Quidditch Pitch. Admittedly, we all found traces of Black Fire, but that is not proof he was behind it."

The aged wizard placed his fingers against each other, a smile on his face. "Not at all, dear Professor McGonagall. While I'm convinced he was there that night, as people who have knowledge and able to use Black Fire these days are rare, I do not think he was responsible. And if he was, I do not think he was alone, nor did he do it intentionally. My best guess is that a fight of sorts took place; a fight fought with the elements as weapons. The use of elements in their rawest form is difficult to master and frowned upon, but not unheard of. But much like the special abilities of the old families, the use of the elements' rawest forms can often be traced to certain bloodlines."

McGonagall frowned. "Are you saying you have found a possible clue to Nico's family?"

The Headmaster shook his head. "No, I've not. The families associated with the ability to use the raw forms are long gone. Today, most who master the ability to harness the elements' raw forms, have done so by researching ancient texts and via trial and error."

McGonagall sighed. "So we are no closer to finding any relatives of Nico's?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I'm afraid so. It appears that no one misses young Mr di Angelo. A shame, really. He is a very bright young man and very sympathetic once you get to know him. But he also appears to be a magnet for trouble." He turned to his Potions master. "Is there any development between Mr di Angelo and young Draco?"

Snape shook his head in the negative. "No Headmaster. From what Draco has told me, he and di Angelo has an agreement. Di Angelo is to spy on Potter and his friends, and in return, Draco will tell him some of the things Lucius tells Draco. In short, di Angelo has basically obtained a pipeline into the very heart of the Ministry, keeping track of their every movement through Draco."

Professor McGonagall was aghast. She might have grown to see him as one of her Gryffindors and a soft spot for him, but this revelation of disloyalty angered her. "Nico is spying on Harry and the House of Gryffindor?!"

Dumbledore smiled. They all knew that the Transfiguration teacher was only covering her hurt and concern. "There, there Professor McGonagall. I'm sure young Mr di Angelo doesn't have any ill intentions with it. He just found an alternative source of information and exploited it. No one can blame him for wanting information when he is in a strange world he knew nothing about." He frowned. "I'm, however, concerned about this information exchange. Tell me Severus, do you know anything about the information they have given each other?"

The Potions master nodded. "At their first meeting, Draco told di Angelo about the Ministry's plans of making Dolores Umbridge High Inquisitor. Di Angelo, in return, revealed the situation in Gryffindor Tower. It would appear your Gryffindors aren't as united as they once were, Professor McGonagall."

McGonagall glowered, but didn't say anything. United or not, they were her Gryffindors. Albus Dumbledore just hummed, frown on his face. "I see. Anything else?"

Snape shook his head. "No Headmaster. They have met a few times, but from what I can gather, they have only talked about the status in Gryffindor Tower and the Ministry. They have not talked about personally sensitive information yet. According to Draco, they have another meeting scheduled this Thursday night after curfew on the roof of the Astronomy Tower." He looked at the disapproving face of the Transfiguration teacher before addressing the Headmaster. "Do you want me to listen in on their meeting, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No. In fact, I must ask you to do quite the contrary. You must ensure Draco gets to this meeting, like you have done the other nights the two boys have met. This meeting is essential, as it will be their last." Two quizzical looks from the younger teachers, and he continued. "I'm afraid we cannot allow them to continue meeting, for their own and Harry's safety."

McGonagall's eyebrows shot up. "How, exactly, is Harry's safety involved in this?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Draco Malfoy is playing a dangerous game, but he doesn't know the rules, or the players, as well as he thinks; nor does he see the bigger picture. He is also, like we were, underestimating Nico di Angelo's resourcefulness and capabilities. To young Draco, this is only about getting information he can use to get Harry in trouble, be it with Dolores or to get blackmail material. What he fails to realize, at this time at least, is that the information he tells his father is likely to reach Lord Voldemort's ears if Lucius deems it important enough. Lucius Malfoy, wanting to maintain his high standing in Lord Voldemort's inner circle, assuming that Nico di Angelo provides him something useful regarding Harry, might let something else than the plans of the Ministry slip to Draco who in turn will tell it to Nico in hopes of obtaining more information. Lord Voldemort, however, will sooner or later come to think of Draco and Nico as liabilities; they know too much to be left alive."

The aged wizard took a deep breath, before continuing. "Nico di Angelo, on the other hand, is well aware of the use of information he has given Draco so far. He, however, doesn't know of Draco's father's other affairs. He is possible well aware that Lucius has close connections in the top of the Ministry and is a high standing member in our society, but he doesn't know of him being in Lord Voldemort's inner circle. He might let something slip that would endanger Harry."

McGonagall frowned. "I was under the impression that he and Nico are friends?"

Dumbledore nodded. "They have started to develop a friendship. This leads me to believe that this agreement between our Slytherin prefect and new Gryffindor was made shortly after Nico's arrival… possibly on the first Monday of this semester. You saw them that morning, did you not Severus?"

Snape gave a curt nod. "Yes. Draco, accompanied by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle confronted di Angelo that morning. Draco tried intimidating di Angelo, but failed, to be honest, miserably. Di Angelo even warned Draco that he was worse than he was." Snape shook his head. "And yet he agreed to di Angelo's deals and terms. He probably didn't want to lose face, should rumours about him being scared of a Gryffindor reach Slytherin House."

Dumbledore nodded sagely. "Pride can be a dangerous thing." Then he sighed. "Regardless, we have to interfere. See to it, will you, Severus?" The Potions master nodded and the Headmaster smiled. "Excellent. Now, I believe breakfast is about to be served."

With that the aged wizard stood up and he led the way out of the office. As such, they missed Fawkes chirping happily and the Sorting Hat's grumpy response.

"Yes, Bird-Brain, I know you won the bet about when young Nico would cause problems. But I won the bet about the manner of the problems he would make."

Fawkes squawked, though this time around, it had some indignation in it. The Sorting Hat gave a hasty reply. "Okay, okay, okay. Don't lose all your feathers. How about we play double or quits?" Fawkes chirped in agreement. "Bet accepted then, my old friend."

With that, the two friends fell into silence, greatly anticipating the fun Nico di Angelo would bring them next. It had been a long time since the two friends had had this much fun during a school year.

00000

Percy Jackson kicked an old newspaper away. He and his friends were searching London for clues about Nico's whereabouts, but like the last couple of weeks, no luck. There was no scent, nothing in the newspapers, TV, radio… nothing. It was driving him nuts. They had left Tyson with Festus just north of London, as they didn't want people asking question why a tall boy was carrying around a heavy suitcase. Plus, they needed to remove the salt from Festus after their trip, and Tyson rather liked working on their bronze dragon friend. Not to mention, Tyson didn't like big cities. He said it reminded him too of the time on his own. In addition, despite what some people might say, some of these Brits were exceptionally rude and their words coming out of their mouth made the Hudson and East Rivers clean in comparison. Percy would know, he had seen the rivers and now he had heard some of these Brits talk.

He slumped down in a chair, next to a shady pub called the Leaky Cauldron. The wind of the dying September was cold, but not yet unpleasantly so. But it would appear most people on the street didn't agree with him on that fact, as they simply passed him without a second glance, which was fine. He was not in the mood for company either way.

It was bad enough that they hadn't found any clues about where Nico was, but according to the Stolls, there was coming more and more of the foreign gold-weapon-wielding demigods in New York City, making the Stolls', eh, shopping, much harder. With the number of the purple clad demigods running around, it was starting to look a lot like an invasion force. Clarisse had suggested that Camp Half-Blood took the fight to them before the foreigners got too close to camp. But Chiron had said no, as they didn't know if the other demigods were hostiles; but no one really bought that.

No, Camp Half-Blood was preparing for battle. They were having battle formation drills, led by Clarisse and the rest of the Ares Cabin; the Hephaestus Cabin was working all around the clock on repairing old weapons, making new ones and the battle ship while the Athena Cabin was making battle strategies. The Hermes Cabin was keeping a constant look out in the city, running errands for both the Apollo and Demeter Cabins, making sure they had medicine and food, and all around maintaining Camp's economy. The Hecate Cabin was working on ways to reinforce Camp's borders and other nasty things. As if to underline how serious it was, even the Aphrodite Cabin was taking up their weapons and armour for formation drills.

Lastly, there was his latest dream. It troubled them all. The day after his dream, they had seen hurricanes, earthquakes and thunderstorms raging over most of the United States; the Big Three were flexing their muscles, causing great devastation in the process. What was, perhaps not quite as troubling, was the fact that they had no idea who Voldemort or Harry Potter was. None of them liked the fact that this Voldemort wanted someone Harry Potter dead, but what concerned them even more was the fact that Voldemort apparently was plotting to kill Nico as well. As for the lady: They were sure it was a goddess or another immortal the son of Hades had pissed off. But that didn't help them that much.

Persephone wasn't fond of Nico, but as go as far as to kill him? Not likely. Then there was Medea, one of the worst villains in Greek mythology. One year ago, Nico had been sent to investigate Chicago afters rumour had reached Camp Half-Blood a powerful sorceress and princess had moved to the city. Not to mention, known demigods had disappeared when they were in that area… some of the campers from Hecate Cabin had demanded to go, seeing how magic were their speciality, but after deducing that their enemy most likely would be Medea and her minions, they had second thoughts. Percy had volunteered for the mission, but one of Annabeth's brothers, Lucas, had pointed out that this mission would demand someone with power and subtlety. Thus Nico had been chosen. When Percy had asked who would be Nico's companions, Lucas had said that the more people went with Nico, the greater was the risk of detection and thus failure. Percy had been about to protest, but Annabeth had told him that Lucas had a point, even if she didn't like it. And as she said, Nico was one of the most powerful demigods out there… and probably one of the most cunning; a dangerous combination for his enemies.

Percy closed his eyes, thinking back. After Nico left for his mission, he had Annabeth tell him more about Medea and he did some digging around himself. When he found out who Medea was, he was furious. Sending Nico out on his own against her; it was a suicide mission. He had been well on his way to go and beat Lucas into the ground for suggesting Nico going alone, had it not been for Annabeth being able to calm him down, but only after she promised she would go with him if Nico wasn't back four days later.

The son of Poseidon sighed. Not only did Nico survive his suicide mission, he completed it successfully within forty-eight hours. He hadn't been able to kill Medea as she had fled, much to his regret, but he had destroyed her shop completely, saving several half-bloods and satyrs in the going, the newest daughter of Aphrodite, Piper McLean, among them.

When asked about how he destroyed the shop he just shrugged and said: "A little Greek fire bomb there, a little ball of Hellfire there. Don't try it in your cabin; it makes a terrible bang." That little remark in turn had given rise to the running joke and a bet about whom had the most pyromaniac traits and affinity for making things explode: Leo Valdez, Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo. Or at least, it had been running till one evening when Leo had broken down crying without giving any reason as to why. Even now, he hadn't said why. Bottom line, they stopped making fun of it.

Percy ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't think of any woman aside those two that didn't like Nico and would be brave enough to make an attempt on his life. Well, the Aphrodite Cabin wasn't overly happy with him after his little prank. But hey, it was their own fault: After all, they painted Cabin Thirteen pink with hearts and rainbows, and gave the skull lipstick and curly golden hair. Nico's revenge: Once he had restored his cabin to its usual self, he caught a family of city raccoons and ten skunks and put them in a couple of bags. Then, in the middle of the night, he shadow-travelled into Cabin Ten and released the raccoon family and the skunks. After the raccoons had rummaged through the cabin for food, Nico made sure to wake Drew by holding a raccoon in her face. The scream and following noise scared the skunks and, yeah, you know what they do when they get scared and want to defend themselves. Result: A lot of Aphrodite girls in various forms of dress, or lack thereof, and one Nico di Angelo laughing his pants off.

The son of Poseidon chuckled. He doubted the daughters of Aphrodite would be out for his blood in the literal sense of the word. Besides, rumours had it Piper McLean had a crush on the son of Hades, but Percy was sure there was nothing to it. He sighed. That didn't bring him any closer to who it could be. Persephone wouldn't dare because of Hades' wrath. Medea… it was possible, but he doubted she would be bold enough to approach camp, even if was to get someone to do her dirty work.

"Pst, Percy. Hey, Percy. PERCY!"

The last one got his attention, and he almost fell out of his chair, clasping Riptide in pen form. "Wha…"

"Over here."

The demigod turned his head, and his eyes widened. There, shimmering in mid-air was the image of Thalia Grace. Percy quickly looked around, but no one seemed to notice, so he gave the Iris Message his full attention. "Pinecone Face… what's wrong? Do you need help? Where are you, we will get there as soon as we…"

"Shut up, Percy." Thalia scowled "And don't call me Pinecone Face, Kelp Head." Despite her scowl, Thalia wasn't mad. But then her face turned serious. "Percy, we've got a clue on Nico's whereabouts."

Now that definitely got Percy's attention. "You do? How? Where is…"

Thalia held up a hand in the image. "Yes. It was by pure chance. Phoebe found an article from some newspaper called the Daily Prophet. Yes, I know it is a weird name, but that is not important. In the article, it mentioned that a boy named Nico di Angelo appeared in a school called Hogwarts some weeks ago… 1st September to be exact. It also mentions that the Ministry is considering sending Dementors to guard this Hogwarts because their sports arena was destroyed." She smiled. "Seems like Nico tried to escape."

Percy frowned. Who would bring a prisoner to a school, much less send monsters to guard it? Those who kidnapped Nico were sick, even if the school had a hilarious name. No matter… now they knew the place they had to get to. "Alright. Where is this Hogwarts?"

Thalia sighed. "I'm not sure. We have tried asking around, but no one seems to know where it is. We found, however, another article from the Daily Prophet, but it was more a piece from an article. Anyways, it hinted that Hogwarts might be somewhere in Scotland. We are currently on a train to Edinburgh, and we will start searching from there."

Percy nodded. "Thanks for letting me know. We will be there soon. And, Thalia… be careful. They were powerful enough to stop Nico from leaving. If you think they are too strong for the Hunters to take, fall back and call us."

Thalia nodded then ended the message. Percy sighed. Now they had a clue to where Nico was. Now he just had to wait for Annabeth, Leo and Grover to return so they could go to Scotland, find this Hogwarts, and beat up some bad guys and free Nico. 'Hang in there Nico. Don't do anything stupid to get yourself killed. We are coming.'

00000

"Eh Potter… Harry, can we talk?"

Harry looked up from his food, surprise being replaced with weariness and a scowl. "What do you want Seamus?"

Seamus sucked in a deep breath, before exhaling slowly. "I want to apologize for my behaviour. I… I shouldn't have believed the Daily Prophet that easily." He looked over his shoulders at the Patil twins and Lavender Brown. "None of us should. We have known you for four years, and the image the Prophet is painting of you doesn't match with the Harry we know." He took a deep breath, eyes downcast. "I'm sorry Harry… we all are. I will understand it if you don't accept it, but I want you to know that we believe you."

Harry stared for a long time, not believing his ears. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why Seamus would suddenly change his mind like that. It sounded too good to be true. Seamus sighed and started to walk away with the girls, but his actions brought Harry out of his musings and he stood up "Seamus, wait." The Irish boy turned again. "Why the sudden change of mind?"

Seamus sighed, but there was a trace of a rueful smile. "Nico di Angelo talked some sense into me the other day when Parvati and Padma accompanied me to the Hospital Wing. He asked some questions that got me thinking and, well, basically look like an idiot. I'm just sorry I didn't think for myself to begin with."

Harry was silent for a few seconds. Then he held out his hand. "Apology accepted. It goes for all of you."

The girls gave relieved smiles, and Seamus smiled broadly as he shook Harry's hand. "So you aren't mad?"

Harry shrugged. "Nah, not really. I may not be too happy about how you acted when we started, but Hermione pretty much explained it. Besides, you weren't the only one. But you are one of the few who came to his senses, even if Nico had to help a little." He looked down the table, a frown settling on his face. "Speaking of Nico… where is he?"

Parvati sighed. "He and Hermione went to talk with McGonagall. Apparently, Nico wants to quit Divination to get more time to study and catch up." She sighed. "Such a shame really; Professor Trelawney says he has so much potential as a Seer."

Harry didn't say anything, just nodded as the girls and Seamus walked off. As far as he was concerned, Trelawney saying Nico had potential as a Seer was a glowing recommendation… please note sarcasm. Then he frowned as he mulled over the first part. Nico, wanting to catch up and study more? Harry didn't see why he would want that. He got respectable grades, minus Charms, was probably the best in Transfiguration and was done with his homework before the other Gryffindor fifth year boys. Admittedly his grades could be better in Potions and DADA, but considering the teachers in those subjects, and Nico's last clash with them, those grades weren't likely to change, no matter how much he studied. Shaking his head, the Boy-Who-Lived headed for Divination.

When he got there, he sat down beside Ron at their usual table. "Hi Ron."

The redhead nodded, but then frowned. "What got you in such an awful good mood today?"

Harry smiled. "Seamus, Parvati, Padma and Lavender came to me and apologized. Apparently Nico talked some sense into them. Guess he isn't a bad guy after all. I don't think… oh, not again."

The source of Harry's sudden change of moods was obvious: Professor Umbridge had just appeared in the classroom, her faithful note pad in hand. Trelawney cast the shorter woman a nervous looks, before addressing the class.

"Good afternoon class. Today we will continue with oneiromancy, or in common tongue, dream interpretation. Can anyone here tell me why oneiromancy was important in Ancient Greece? Yes, Miss Patil?"

Parvati took a deep breath. "Oneiromancy, or dream interpretation, is considered one of the oldest forms of divination. The Ancient Greeks, wizards and Muggles alike, believed that dreams held clues that could be used to predict or tell the future. However, because the clues often came in a hidden form, like riddles and other stuff, those of royalty would often hire dream interpreters to interpret their dreams."

Professor Trelawney nodded, and her voice regained a little of its misty and ethereal tones. "Correct, ten points to Gryffindor. Now, if you would please open 'The Dream Oracle' by Inigo Imago, chapter four to five, we can begin."

And so Harry and Ron started interpreting their last made up dreams, getting some interesting results: Ron would get eaten by big fluffy pink hat while Harry would drown in blue wine. This is in turn caused Parvati and Lavender to glare at them for making fun of the subject. Unfortunately, it had also gotten the attention of Professor Trelawney and she moved towards them, eyes blazing, Umbridge right behind her.

"Professor Trelawney, I must insist that you interpret my dreams."

The Divination teacher didn't react to the High Inquisitor. Instead, she stopped right in front of Harry and Ron. "Messrs Potter and Weasley, would you like to let the class in on your dreams?"

Harry shook his head. There was no need for that. He knew very well what his dreams meant and that wasn't going to change even if twenty fifteen-year-olds combined their skills at oneiromancy. "No, Professor Trelawney. Sorry, it won't happen again."

He nudged Ron with his foot. The redhead gave him a half-glare, but then he lowered his eyes dramatically. "Sorry Professor Trelawney."

The boys didn't like the Divination Professor, not by a long shot, but they still preferred her over Umbridge. And as such, they had agreed to be at their best behaviour in Trelawney's class, if only to annoy Umbridge.

Seemingly satisfied, Sybill Trelawney turned around and frowned when she saw the High Inquisitor. "Can I help you?"

The toad-like woman raised an eyebrow and scribbled something on her note pad. "I asked you to interpret my dreams. Or at least make a tiny little prophecy?"

Trelawney's face turned red, but her confidence was wavering again. "I… I-I-I've al-already told you. The Inner Eye does not See upon command."

Umbridge sighed, and if Harry didn't know better, he would have said she sounded disappointed. "I see. I would have thought that as the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated seer Cassandra Trelawney… well, in any case, you will receive the result of my evaluation tomorrow."

Trelawney paled. "N-n-no, wait I sense something around. Something dark…something sinister with…"

The Divination teacher went slack-jawed, her eyes having a faint green glow that, to Harry, was way too similar to the Killing Curse. Dolores Umbridge looked up from her note pad when the other woman had stopped speaking. Apparently, she didn't notice the glow, because she spoke in her usual sweet manner.

"I see. Well, I must confess I'm disappointed. I had expected a bit more…"

Dolores Jane Umbridge was cut off when Trelawney spoke again. But it wasn't her usual voice. Instead, it was deep and booming.

"**The battle of the half-blood princes is nigh.**

**The waves of burning rage will go high. **

**Odds will be tipped for worse with a curse.**

**Caught in the middle, feud is adverse.**

**Balance obtained when boy's body is hit by chill.**

**A friend's water brings warmth will."**

Sybill Trelawney coughed violently then blinked her eyes. "I-I think a violent storm is coming my dears. And we- we can't see the future with so much chaos in the air."

Nobody moved to pack their things. No one glanced out the window to see the blue sky and afternoon sun. Dolores Umbridge stood there, mouth open, her note pad on the floor. The students were gaping at their teacher, some shocked, some disbelieving, some impressed. Whether people liked or believed it or not, fact remained that Professor Sybill Trelawney had just given a prophecy.

00000

The wind was blowing, hitting his face and playing with his hair. It was growing a bit too long for Nico's taste. It was around midnight, and Nico was in a good mood. With Hermione's help, he had gotten out of Divination, giving him extra time to work on his new weapon and train. He was not sure McGonagall believed his reasons for wanting to quit the subject. His grades, in general were good for the most part, so the Head of Gryffindor House couldn't quite see why he would want to quite. Perhaps the son of Hades had imagined it, but the elderly witch had seemed a bit colder towards him than usual. And he really hated to lie to her when he said he felt the other subjects, Potions and Charms were catching up with him. But in the end, she had allowed him to drop the subject. He just had to promise her to raise his grades in Charms to minimum an A. And much to Nico shock, he had also volunteered to become a Transfiguration tutor for the younger Gryffindors once his grade in Charms was acceptable.

The Ghost King sighed. He had still no idea where the change in him was coming from. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the school? The fact that no one knew he was a son of the god of the Underworld? Nico didn't really care. Hogwarts and her inhabitants had grown on him more than he thought possible. He liked it here. His fellow Gryffindors, or at least most of them, would tease him without showing any sign of fear, especially after he fell on his face. Hogwarts was feeling like home, and Gryffindor House like family and friends. And he had to admit, much to his shock and surprise, he had checked out a girl or two. Something he hadn't done at either of the two camps. Oh, he knew of the rumour about him and Piper being a couple, no matter how many times both the daughter of Aphrodite and he told them that the hug was just between friends and her showing her gratitude after that nasty mess with Medea.

Nico sighed. He couldn't lie to himself. He did miss a few campers… Leo, the Stolls, Piper and Percy. But fact remained that some campers had attacked him and that the Hunters of Artemis and Annabeth and some others had attacked his sister. He couldn't and wouldn't allow himself to think fondly of the ones he once called friends; if he did, he wouldn't be able to fight to his fullest, should they get in his way when he went for Annabeth. And knowing Percy, he most definitely would get in between.

But the son of Hades hadn't just been meditating for the fights he was sure to come. He had also been researching on spells and runes that might help him with his weapon now that he no longer had a son or daughter of Hephaestus/Vulcan at hand. And he had found that, in theory at least, would speed up his process. Then again, one thing was theory, another was practise.

Nico heard the door open behind him, bringing him back to the present. "You are late again, Draco. I was under the impression you would use your Prefect schedule to plan this meeting."

Draco scowled. "Well excuse me that your so-called friends, Granger and Weasley, saw fit to delay me and my partner by reminding us of our patrol next week. Had it not been for Professor Snape coming by, there is no telling how long those two would have kept talking." He glared at Nico. As Malfoy found on their second meeting, he had better watch his mouth. Nico did not take kindly to words such as blood traitor and Mudblood. "Di Angelo, this time, it was you who called this meeting. What do you have to tell me? It is your turn to begin, after all."

Nico sighed. That much was true. It was his turn to start with sharing information, as per their agreement. But it was also his intention to end it tonight. Draco's information on Umbridge and Ministry had been… insufficient to say the least. He knew that the Ministry was still trying to find a way to remove him from Hogwarts, but so far, they hadn't found any loopholes. And frankly, Nico had no interest in how the political climate was among the pro-pureblood fanatics.

As a result, Nico had been feeding Draco the same kind of useless information. But that was not the only reason. Harry and his friends had grown on Nico and he was starting to think of them as his friends as well. He didn't want to lose that if, and it was big if, it got out he had been exchanging information with their school rival. He signed internally. He was growing into a softie. Hoping that Draco had something useful, Nico spoke.

"Hermione is trying to get some club or something going. I don't know the details, but it is a study club of sorts. As far as I know, it is still in the planning phase. As for Harry and Ron?" He shrugged. "They have been acting strange since I quit Divination. The gossip mill has it that Professor Trelawney gave a prophecy, but I don't know if that part is true. Gossip has a tendency to spread faster than fire." Unsaid was another reason for him quitting Divination. Prophecies had had a way too big impact on his life. If someone spoke another prophecy to him, even a fake one, sooner or later he was to going to snap. He moved on. "Harry has made peace with Seamus Finnigan, the Patil twins and Lavender Brown after Finnigan apologized in the Great Hall, meaning that most of the Gryffindor Fifth years stand united." He turned his gaze. "Your turn."

Nico had sensed that the pureblood was different tonight, more confident. So he wasn't really surprised when the Slytherin smirked and drew his wand. "Sorry, di Angelo, but our arrangement ends tonight. I have all the information I need. That is the information I have for you." Nico raised an eyebrow, but then he started laughing as Malfoy pointed his wand at his face. Draco frowned, bewildered. "What is so funny?"

Nico's laughter subsided to a quiet chuckle. When he spoke, he still sounded amused. "It's just that I too planned on ending our agreement tonight. Though, I'm surprised you have the nerve to draw your wand at me; do you honestly believe I'm afraid of you and that you can take me on?" Nico chuckled, and he saw Draco's eyes widen when Hellfire started coiling around Nico's fingertips. "Draco, hit him three times, and even Buddha gets mad. This is your second warning. Draw your wand at me again, and I will not let you off so easily. Now, please go, while I'm still in a good mood."

Draco could feel pearls of cold sweat running down his neck. Snape, after getting Granger and Weasley to leave, had told him to end his arrangement with Nico because he was out of his league and that he didn't know who he was dealing with. Now he understood what the Potions master meant. Even with a wand in his face, Nico didn't even blink. Scowling, Draco tucked his wand away and left without a word. But if Nico thought he had heard the last to Draco Malfoy, he was wrong. He would get even with him.

The son of Hades chuckled, extinguishing the Hellfire from his fingers. It was regrettably that he had lost a source of information, but he knew from the beginning that their agreement wouldn't last long, and as such, he had mostly offered relatively harmless information. He was just sorry it had to be on the expense of spying on Harry and his friends, but at the time, it had seemed as the right thing. Nico hadn't expected to make friends with anyone while on Hogwarts or that he would come to think of Hogwarts as a home, and yet he had. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Most likely, Draco would try to use the information he had been given to get Harry in trouble, possibly even blackmail him.

'Well, in that case, I guess I will just have to try and counteract. It is the least I can do after making a mistake like this.'

With that, Nico headed for bed, pondering what making friends here at Hogwarts and his now cancelled bargain with Draco Malfoy would bring him further down the road.

00000

"Remind me again: Why do I've to come as well?"

Harry grunted. "Hey, don't complain. This is what you get for not trying to talk Hermione out of it."

Hermione shot the two boys an affronted look. "Nico, having you there will give Harry more credibility. Many still sees you as an, sorry, outsider. If an outsider supports Harry over the Ministry, it might get some more people to listen. After all, you made Seamus, Parvati, Padma and Lavender change their mind, right?" She lowered her voice. "Besides, it was clear from our talk that night that you have experience with fighting as well, even if it isn't our way of duelling. People might be interested in learning things from you as well."

Nico hadn't really wanted to go to this Hogsmeade village the rest of the Gryffindors were so excited to go to. He had planned on spending the day in his forge without anyone questioning him where he disappeared off to, but Hermione had insisted he came as well. So he had grudgingly approached his Head of House, and she and the headmaster had signed some slip, just for appearances' sake, even when he explained that his parents emancipated him when he was eleven.

So Nico found himself walking towards Hogsmeade with the Golden Trio to meet up with the people Hermione thought would be interested in learning how to defend themselves and hear what Harry had to say. But he did not approve of the meeting place Hermione had picked, the Hog's Head Inn. From what Nico could understand, it was a shady place off the main street and not frequented that much by the students of Hogwarts. And as far Nico was concerned, that was the main problem. The more noise the better, as it would be harder for people to eavesdrop on them. And he thought Harry was taking the episode with Filch too lightly. To Nico, it was obvious someone at Hogwarts was interested in the letters Harry might send or receive, most likely Umbridge. He sighed, having turned out on their conversation some time ago. There was nothing they could do about it now.

He was brought out of his musings when Hermione announced they were there and Harry led the way in.

The son of Hades' first impression of the Hog's Head: Dirty, smelled of goat and its clientele were the type of people with shady motives and background like thieves, handlers of stolen goods and other small-time criminals. In other words, it was a paradise and unappreciated source for information… if you had your act and savoir-faire down to the bone, that is. And Nico did. This was just his sort of place for information gathering.

Nico did a quick scan of the room. Big windows that were so dirty that little sunlight streamed in; good, it would lower the risks of Umbridge from seeing them if she happened to walk by. On the downside, that also meant they couldn't see out. The floor was stone, but it was covered in filth. There were only five other people. The bartender and a man at the bar covered in grey bandages that needed to be changed, drinking some steaming drink. Then there were two figures with cloaks, having an animated talk with strong accents and finally, in a dark corner, was a witch covered in veils from top to toe.

"I'm not sure this is such a good idea, Hermione." Harry mumbled, glancing at the witch with all the veils. "Have you considered it easily could be Umbridge underneath all those clothes?"

Nico shook his head, beating Hermione to the punch. "Unlikely. Umbridge isn't that tall. And even it is, there is nothing she can do about us meeting here."

Hermione nodded. "I double- and triple-checked the school rules, and we aren't outside the allowed area. I even asked Flitwick if students were allowed here and he said we are, but he would recommend us to bring our own glasses. I even checked up on all the rules regarding study clubs and all of it is allowed. But that doesn't mean we have to go advertising about it."

"No we don't." Harry added dryly. "Especially because it isn't exactly are reading club you have in mind."

The son of Hades pretty much tuned them out after that. He regarded the barman as he came over. He was a tall and thin old man with long and stringy hair. And behind his dirty lenses, piercing blue eyes gazed right back at Nico, and the son of Hades immediately put up his mental defences. The bartender in turn just raised an eyebrow and asked in a gruff voice.

"What?"

"Four Butterbeers please." Hermione said.

Nico raised an eyebrow an inch. When the bartender's eyes landed on Harry, who had offered to pay, the old man's eyes stopped for the fraction of a second at Harry's scar. The son of Hades tuned out the other teenagers' talk again as he took small sips of the Butterbeer. It was quite good, but Nico would prefer a cold normal beer any day. He smiled behind his flask when Ron remarked that he had always wanted to try Firewhiskey and Hermione's rebuke about Ron being a Prefect. But he thought Ron had point: The bartender most likely would sell them anything.

He looked up when the door into the pub opened, casting a fat ray of daylight across the room, before it was blocked by the flock of people coming in. First entered Neville with Dean, Lavender, Padma, Parvati and Seamus. Then came a lot of people Nico didn't recognize, but he did recognize Cho Chang, the girl Harry obviously had a crush on. Nico raised his eyebrows. It was definitely more than a couple of people, something Harry made clear to Hermione under his breath.

"Hey Nico." The boy in question looked up to see Neville smiling at him. "Mind if I sit?"

Nico just shrugged and took another sip of Butterbeer. "Suit yourself."

Neville just kept smiling and sat down. Once everyone was seated and had something to drink, the meeting began. Nico, for the most part, turned it out, only paying slight attention when Harry's accomplishments were brought up, choosing to focus on the inn's other customers instead. He narrowed his eyes. The mummy man was taking an awful lot of time finishing the drink brought to him when they first got there, and the witch in the corner just sat there. He would eat the Sorting Hat if those two weren't listening in. Not to mention the bartender. This was not the ideal place for having a secret group this large meet, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

"Are you trying to get out of it because you and di Angelo aren't any good at all?"

Nico looked up at that, his eyes settling on a tall boy skinny blond boy with an upturned nose. He had apparently not paid good enough attention to the conversation around him, because it was clear his name had been up a few times when Ron responded angrily.

"You know what you should? You should just shut up!"

The boy's face got red as he protested. "But we are all here because we are interested in learning from the two of them, and now he says he can't do anything. And what about di Angelo? He doesn't even try to back up Potter or defend himself!"

Fred Weasley snarled. "He didn't say that."

At the same time, his brother got up a murderous looking instrument up from his bag from Zonko's. "Shall we clear your ears for you?"

"Or what about any other part of your body? We are not…"

Fred trailed off, cold sweat running down his spine. The room seemed to have grown darker and colder and the air was heavy. It felt life was being squeezed out of his body. Then his heart was gripped with fear. Fear for his life. It felt like if he made a single move, he would die. He looked around. No one of the gathered kids seemed to be faring any better. Some were openly crying, others were looking around wildly, others were gripping their chairs and the table so hard their knuckles turned white.

Harry Potter couldn't breathe. The air was suffocating. He only felt like this when in the presence of Voldemort and Dementors… like he was one inch away from dying. The fear taking hold of him was so intense that he looked around for Voldemort and Dementors, even if he knew it was impossible. He would know if either had entered the pub. He didn't see Voldemort, nor did he see any Dementors. But the witch in the corner had fallen from her chair, while the man in the bandages was steadying himself by the counter. The two figures who had talked with a strong Yorkshire accent had stopped talking and was shifting in their seats, while the bartender looked like he was relieving something painful, but he seemed to be the less affected in the room as he was just staring at their group.

Harry looked at his friends. Most of them had gone deadly pale and shaking while some were crying, Ginny, Cho and Cho's friend to name a few. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the feeling of death and fear subsided, the room regaining its warmth and light again. But the after effects were still there as most of the occupants were still trembling. 'What the…'

Harry's thoughts were cut short by laughter. Someone in the room was laughing. Turning his head, Harry was shocked to see it was Nico. Then he realized that the fear who had taken hold of him, his friends, the other customers and the bartender had been generated by Nico. Their new friend had radiated fear and death so intense that he brought the entire room into silence. Somehow, that scared Harry much more than Nico's control of the shadows and black fire. Then, Nico's laughter subsided to a chuckle before stopping completely. When he spoke, his voice held a cold edge in it.

"Now that I've your attention, let me ask all you a simple question: Do you lot even know how to fight?" A few gave tentative nods, causing Nico to smile. But every one seeing it was reminded of predator stalking its prey; dangerous and deadly "Really? Let me hear. You," he pointed at the boy who had angered the Weasley twins. "Let's hear it then."

Zacharias Smith took a few breaths before speaking, regaining his composure. "My father has taught me how to duel since I was eleven."

Nico refrained from snorting and pointed at a girl. "You, miss Ravenclaw. What can you say about fighting?"

Marietta Edgecombe went rigid before straightening up. "My mother has taken me to several duel championships since I was six. I've seen some of the most skilled duellists and…"

"And most likely, none of them was fighting to kill the other." Nico cut in, his voice cold as ice. "Tell me, have any of you ever been near a duel when a life was on the line?" Silence and nobody nodded this time around, they just stared at him. "Just as I thought. None of you, with the possible exception of Harry, has any idea of what true combat is like. You," he pointed at Marietta, "have only watched duels in a competition held under controlled circumstances, where both participants lived and probably shook hands afterwards as friends or rivals. And you," he said, pointing at Zacharias, "have only trained with your father who has no interest in harming you whatsoever."

Nico shook his head. All of them were now listening with rapt attention. Good, he hated having to repeat himself. His voice was deadly whisper, but it cut through the silent group like a hot knife through butter.

"You want to know the truth about duels and battle? They are horrible. Look to your left and then look to your right. In all likelihood, it is your best friends sitting next to you. The truth of combat is that your friends are dying and screaming all around you, but you can't let your guard down or you will join them. You have to keep fighting and not lose your composure. If you do, you are just as likely to harm your friends as your enemies." He took a deep breath, meeting all of their individually. "I was eleven when I took part in a large scale battle for the first time. So, is there anyone else who wants to tell me they know how to fight and what real combat is like?"

Nobody said anything. How could they? Then, someone clapped. It was low and slow, but it was still there. Nico, confused for a moment, looked around at the gathered students, but it wasn't any of them. But he did notice that Neville had stayed pale, and the other boy's gaze was focused on the door. Before the son of Hades could ask what was wrong, an all too familiar voice spoke from the door, making the Ghost King freeze and stare the doorway, not believing his bad luck.

"Well said, Nico, well said."

00000

If someone had told Remus Lupin how his day would go when he got out of bed that morning, he would have gone to bed again. It was bad enough the full moon was the next day, putting the otherwise easy-going man in a tense mood, so all he had wanted to do that Saturday morning was to enjoy a cup of coffee on a street café in Edinburgh before he had to go back to his cottage to prepare himself for the upcoming transformation. So why was it that he was currently dodging arrows fired by a bunch of trigger-happy pubescent girls? It was not the usual reaction from people their age who figured out he was werewolf, that was for sure. Remus had never hit a girl before, but his mood had gone from bad to worse since he woke up, and them shooting arrows at him was not helping, so he was beginning to consider it. Catching and tossing another arrow away, Remus thought back on just how he got into this situation.

-Flashback start-

Remus sipped his coffee, the Daily Prophet spread out before him, the citizens of Edinburgh slowly awakening from their sleep. He had heard from Sirius about the boy who had appeared on Hogwarts the 1st September, and he was curious about the teenager Harry and the Prophet mentioned. The only thing the two agreed on was the skillset this Nico di Angelo possessed. His friend's son was slightly suspicious and was trying to find out more, but from what Sirius could gather from his last talk with Harry, even if didn't end on good notes, was that Harry and his friends were starting to warm up to Nico. The Daily Prophet, on the other hand, was trying to paint things in the darkest colours. Not that that concerned Remus overly so. As one most people saw as a creature of darkness, he was no stranger to prejudice. He would like to talk with this Nico di Angelo one day. His musing was cut short when someone blocked the sun. Looking up, his gaze settled on two teenage girls who had some sort of glow in their skin.

One was in punk clothes and had short spiky black hair. The other was just as tall as the other girl with blond hair and green eyes and she was wearing a white shirt, silver jacket, silvery camo pants and black combat boots. Perhaps it was just because of the full moon being the next day, or perhaps it was experience or paranoia born from the last war, but Remus did a quick scan of the street, spotting several girls with the same clothes as the second in several places, and all of them were glancing their way every-so-often, making it clear to him that two girls in front of him were the leaders.

Schooling his face into a polite smile, he asked in a calm voice. "Good morning. How can I help you?"

The one with spiky black hair spoke first, a polite smile on her face. "Good morning. May I see your newspaper? I missed the one yesterday."

Raising his eyebrow, Remus handed over his newspaper, keeping an eye on the other girl. She was looking him over with distaste and suspicion. That did not exactly help his mood, so he felt his hand inching to his wand, just in case. He gave the two girls another wary glance. They were definitely not Muggles, or they would have reacted to moving pictures in the newspaper. He frowned slightly. They were old enough to be in Harry's year, so why weren't they in school? He was brought out by his musings when the girl with punk clothes gave him back his newspaper.

"Thank you sir." She turned her head to the other girl. "No mention of Nico or where Hogwarts might be."

Remus was about to ask them a lot of questions like: who they were, their relation to Nico and why they weren't in school, when he rolled off the chair and got back on his feet in one fluid movement… or as fluid as it could be with his bones hurting in anticipation for the next full moon. The other girl had just tried slicing his throat with a knife.

"What the hell Erica?!" The girl with the spiky hair screamed. "Why would you do that?!"

Erica, as the girl apparently was named, glared at him before glancing at the other girl. "You have grown soft and dull, Thalia. He is a lycanthrope!"

The other girl, Thalia, stiffened, then turned to look at him. "Is that true, sir?"

Remus glowered and a small growl escaped his lips. "Yes. But even so, that is no reason to try and kill me on the spot. I've never harmed anyone, much less done anything to you. Now, I've some questions for you: Who are you? Why aren't you in school? Where did that knife come from? And what is your relation to Nico?"

The girl with the tiara opened her mouth to speak, but the other girl cut in. "None of your concern, werewolf! You are prey, we the hunters!"

Another three girls had come running over, all of them with bows. Remus heard people yelling about girl gangs and calling the police, but none of that mattered. This place was too crowded with Muggles to fight, but after the first arrow, which he barely dodged, he realized numbers and place was against him. So he took off in a run down an alley.

-Flashback end.-

"You are mine!"

He looked up, just as the girl named Erica fired an arrow. This one caught him in the left shoulder and he cried out in pain. In the next second, someone grabbed him from behind. Their chase had been on for five minutes, and Remus hadn't drawn his wand at any time… something he was starting to regret. Glancing over his shoulder, he took in appearance of the girl holding him. She was beefy and big, but other than that, he couldn't see much more. Instead, he chose to glare the girl named Thalia who was approaching. He hissed when the girl behind him twisted the arrow.

"What do you want with me?"

Thalia looked at the girl over the shoulder. "That is enough, Phoebe. I think he will talk." Then her electric blue eyes bore into Lupin's. "Who are you?"

Remus just glared. "Remus John Lupin. And I would like to know who you girls are and what you want."

Thalia narrowed her gaze. "My name is Thalia. The one who shut you is Erica, and the one holding you is Phoebe." Her gaze hardened. "As to who we are… you should know by now. We are the Hunters of Artemis. As for what we want: Information. I saw your reactions to when I mentioned Nico and Hogwarts… you obviously know where both are. Tell us, and I promise we will make your passing quick and painless."

Remus stared for a moment, shocked that some girls would talk about killing him. "I have no idea who you girls are or why you would name your gang the Hunters of Artemis. And I honestly don't care." He went silent, his muscles tensing up. "As to where Nico and Hogwarts are… I would have told you if you had just asked politely. But considering how you just attacked me, I won't help you."

The girl, Erica, snarled. "You are in no position to-"

Remus, deciding that enough was enough, made good use of his enhanced strength. Being so close to the full moon, the strength and senses of the wolf was stronger than any other time and for the first time in sixteen years, he made use of it. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Remus grabbed hold of Phoebe and taking advantage of his strength and height, flipped her over his shoulder and into the girl named Erica and both of them tumbled to the ground in a big mass. The girl named Thalia lunged and Remus reacted purely on instinct. His right fist connected with Thalia's face, sending her to the ground. Before any of the girls could regain their bearings, and still ignoring his burning shoulder, Remus Disapparated away from there and appeared at headquarters.

He didn't know why those girls were interested in Nico di Angelo, nor did he care, but he needed to tell Dumbledore of this so he could pass on the warning to Nico.

00000

"Well said, Nico, well said."

Neville couldn't believe it. He had sensed the person shortly after Nico unleashed that wave of fear and death, but surely, their luck couldn't be that rotten for said person to enter the same pub as them. As it would turn out, it was. And one look at Nico told him that shit very well might hit the fan right before their eyes. A feeling that only amplified when Nico spoke.

"Jason… what are you doing here?"

The son of Jupiter raised his hands, doing a quick scan of the room. All the people around Nico was looking at him with a mix of confusion, angst and curiosity. He met their stares head-on, making many of the boys look down and the girls blush. Well, if Reyna was there, she would probably tell the girls to back off, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Relax cousin. I did not come in here to fight with you. But I would like to have a little chat with you, alone, if that is okay with you and your friends."

Nico gave a long look at the son of Jupiter before standing and turning his head to look at Neville. "Neville, move."

The other boy instantly complied. He hadn't sensed any of the others, and the other boy, Jason, had said he didn't come to fight, but be that as it might, Neville had no wish to be near should it come to a fight.

Harry frowned. Had Nico's little trick affected Neville that much? And how could this boy claim to be Nico's cousin? They didn't look alike. Then again, neither did him and Dudley. The blonde might have said he didn't come to fight, but he had caused Nico to tense much more than Umbridge or any teacher. So when Nico approached Jason warily, Harry stood. "Nico, do you need any help?"

The son of Hades shook his head, but did give the other boy a small smile. "Thanks Harry, but don't worry, I've got this." Then he turned to Jason. "Shall we?"

Jason nodded. "Just a moment." Then he walked over to the bartender and spoke in a low voice. "A bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey, please. No questions asked." The bartender raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything when Jason showed him several nuggets of gold, and pulled up a bottle of red-golden liquid that he gave to Jason who put it in his cloak. "Thank you." He walked back to Nico. "Let's go. I think the three redheaded boys saw and I think they might catch flies if they don't close their mouths."

Nico nodded and as they left, he heard Ron say. "Bloody hell. He just bought a bottle of Firewhiskey! I told you Hermione…"

He didn't hear the rest of or Hermione's response as Jason closed the door behind him. Nico glanced at the older boy as they walked back towards the main street of Hogsmeade, still wary. "Okay Jason, the obvious question first: Where has the rest of your team set up the ambush?"

Jason glanced at Nico before running a hand through his hair. "They are still in the forest where we fought." He sat down outside a shop and pulled out the bottle and two glasses that he instantly filled. Then he pushed one towards Nico, gesturing that the son of Hades should take a teat which he did hesitantly. "Marcus has made a full recovery and is itching for a rematch while Mariana is tending to Frank who is down with flu."

Nico took his glass and took a sip of the drink, filling his body with warmth and courage. A bit bitter perhaps, but it was quite good. He took a gulp before looking at the boy across from him. "I see. But I doubt that is the reason you are here, Jason, to tell me how your team is doing. Why are you here?"

Jason took a swallow of alcoholic beverage. "To tell you the truth? Looking for an apartment or two." He smiled ruefully at the disbelieving look his cousin shot him. "What? You didn't think we would stay camped in forest once winter come, did you? I would have thought you smarter than that. Speaking of which, seems like quite a rookie mistake on your part to pick that kind of place to meet if you people to stay ignorant of whatever you and the others are up to."

Nico stared, then he snorted. "Not only do you want some place warm to stay during the winter, but you also want somewhere your reinforcements can stay for when you choose to make another attempt at taking me captive." He took one look at the older boy's face and knew he had guessed the reason. "And I didn't pick the place, one of the girls did. Believe me, I would have picked a more frequented place to meet. Not that this street is much better."

Jason shrugged. "True enough. But I figured you would be more likely to follow me here than down some dark alley. Besides, considering all those kids looking at you, I would guess you are their source of envy and can now be considered one of the 'cool kids' Besides, if anyone ask, I will just tell them that you are with me." He sighed, took another sip, and then continued. "So… a world filled with people calling themselves witches and wizards, huh? Wouldn't have believed it if we weren't sitting in the middle of it." He emptied his glass, then poured himself another one. "Tell me, Nico, did you know of this world beforehand? After all, wouldn't be the first time you kept something from Camp Jupiter, now would it?"

Nico sighed, then downed his own drink and he too poured himself another one. "I didn't. I wouldn't be here if someone from Camp Half-Blood didn't attack me and a hellhound didn't try to chase me while I tried shadow-travelling." He frowned at the older boy. "Who told you about the Wizarding world?"

Jason just chuckled and his hand disappeared in his cloak, causing Nico to tense up, but instead of his coin, Jason threw an example of the Daily Prophet in front of him. "Newspapers with moving photos are weird, even by a demigod's standard. You caused quite the uproar with your appearance at this Hogwarts, which I guess the castle we saw that night, is called, in the beginning of September." He looked at him. "I thought you might want to know, but Camp Jupiter is done searching through New York City and a have clue on to where this Camp Half-Blood is located. They know that someone that isn't a monster is watching them." He took a sip of his Firewhiskey. "Wouldn't happen to know who they might be, would you?"

Nico looked long and hard, then he let out a sigh. "I have an idea, but I can't say for sure. But I can tell you this much: I didn't alert them to the Legion's presence. I cut my ties with Camp Half-Blood after their attack on me and after you showed me those weapons that night. They are just as much my enemy as I'm an enemy to Camp Jupiter. I have my own score to settle with some of the Greeks, but once I've had my justice, I won't come near them again. What the Camps decide do to each other is no longer my concern."

Jason sighed and took another drink. "I figured that was the case. But tell me this: All of these witches and wizards: Are they descendants of Trivia or blessed by her?"

Nico shook his head. "No. According to my sources, the wizards and witches have existed alongside demigods for millennia. A guess could be that the wizards are a result of a genetic mutation, but I haven't looked further into it. And before you ask: My sources are the ghosts of the castle." Then he frowned. "Why do you ask?"

Jason shook his head. "Because Camp Jupiter is now aware of their existence and is considering them a threat." His gaze darkened. "Nico, you know how the Romans back in the day dealt with the ones they saw as threats and enemies. We will attack the Greeks and perhaps even those wizards and witches. So whether you fight for the Greeks, yourself or the wizards, battle will find you. It would be wiser to surrender now."

Nico gave him a long look, then he shook his head. "I already gave you my answer to that, Jason. I do not fear the Romans. As I said, numbers won't matter against me. And I don't think the Romans have anything to fear from most of the wizards. They are blissfully ignorant of our existence. But let me tell you this: Declaring war against the wizards would be foolish. They vastly outnumber you and most of them are more powerful than your average half-blood. That combined with their mid- and long-range fighting style make them about the worst opponent for you to face." He took another drink, his gaze hardening. "Since you have been honest with me, and since I'm no longer trying to keep the camps apart, I don't see any point in hiding this from you: Your sister, Thalia Grace, is alive."

Jason sat there, shell-shocked. But then he got out of his stupor and grabbed Nico by the front of his cloak. "How dare you… how dare you mention my sister in front of me?! I have searched everywhere for her! If you have known where she was all this time, why didn't you tell me?! Even if you were trying to stop a war, what gave you the right to keep my sister from me?!"

Nico raised an eyebrow at the praetor's outburst, then slowly took of the older boy's wrist and started prying his hands off. "I didn't tell you for several reasons. As you pointed out, I was trying to prevent a war. But I was also trying to protect the both of you. If I told either of you the other was alive, but was a child of the other form of the same god, you would go on rampage trying to find each other, thus leading the camps together. Not only that, but in the Romans case, you would be branded as an outcast for being in family with a Greek demigod."

He sighed, eyes locked with Jason's. "You are not like me, Jason. Camp Jupiter is all you have known. You wouldn't have survived on your own as you wouldn't have a place to go." He let out weary sigh. "And there is a simple reason I haven't told you where you can find her: Because I don't know where she is. Jason, Thalia joined the Hunters of Artemis five years ago and is now the lieutenant of Artemis, her right hand so to speak. They travel all the around the States and the world. You don't find them, they find you. And most of the time, that is only a coincidence."

Jason glared for a few moments, but when Nico mentioned the Hunters of Artemis, his eyes widened in shock. "The Hunters of Artemis… but that means…"

Nico nodded and took a drink, almost emptying his glass. His voice was cold, but he controlled his anger bubbling beneath the surface "Yes. In all likelihood, Thalia was there to attack my sister Hazel that night. Hazel was your friend, Jason. Now tell me… knowing your sister attacked your friend, will you be able to let justice be done?"

Jason leaned in and snarled. "If you as much as touch my sister…"

Nico cut him off and stood, downing the rest of his drink. "She will have brought it upon herself." He looked down at Jason. "Thalia once saved my life, but I repaid that debt some time ago. But out of respect for you, I will tell you this: Camp Half-Blood is likely to have tracked me to Britain by now, and they are likely to have enlisted the aid of the Hunters of Artemis; pray to your father that you encounter them before I do. But if not, I promise I will at least take your love for your sister into consideration before I will deal out justice as I see fit."

Before Jason could open his mouth to say anything more, Nico vanished into the shadows, taking the Firewhiskey with him. The son of Jupiter couldn't really believe what he had heard: His sister was alive, but was most likely one of those who attacked Hazel. He was in quite in the dilemma now. One part of him wanted to protect his sister with every fibre of his being, but another knew that Frank wouldn't let this slide. Jason sighed. Reyna would throw a fit if she knew he had been drinking, but right now, a drink, or ten, was what he needed right now. He would be nursing a hangover tomorrow, but he didn't care about that. He cared about his sister, but he also cared about Hazel. He needed to find a solution that everybody would accept without any killing. The praetor stood and left his seat, cursing Nico di Angelo for having put him in this situation.

End chapter 9.

AN: Strange… started writing on this chapter to try and get some flow in my other story, but seems I focused on this one instead. Oh well. I've decided on what girl I want Nico to date for some months (story time) and it will be revealed in next chapter. And no, it won't be Piper, you all have my word on that.

Oh, and to answer why that little bit with Fawkes and Sorting Hat. I think it was Ron who once remarked what the Hat possibly could be doing all year long, so I decided to play around a bit, just for fun.

Time for the anonymous reviews:

AMAZING 5/19/13 . chapter 8

what will happen when camp half blood finds Nico!? I have a suggestion for you story;  
>maybe Percy should first find Nico, because he's looking for him separately, or something.<br>I love your story!

**Response: Thanks for the compliment and the suggestion. I've however already decided on when and how Percy and co are going to find Nico. But thanks for the suggestion**

Bos primigenius 5/13/13 . chapter 8

This story is the one of the best I have read so far. Could you please update faster I cant wait for the next chapter.

**Response: Thank you for the praise. But I'm afraid I can't do anything about the rate/pace of my updating. **

PLEASE UPDATE 5/2/13 . chapter 8

PLEASE UPDATE!  
>OR I WILL GET NICO TO CHASE YOU AROUND WITH HIS STAFF!<br>AND I WILL TELL CAMP JUPITER THAT YOU KILLED HAZEL!

**Response: Well, technically, they already know I had Hazel attacked. But she isn't dead… yet. **

Random Person 4/22/13 . chapter 8

Haaaaaaaahhh! This story is soooo freakin' awesome...! Please update soon!

And so, the plot thickens where thalia discovered and about to search hogwarts where nico is staying and is also about to inform percy and the others... Hmmmmm hmmmmmmm...

And now: Must. Be. Patient. To. Wait. For. Next. Freakin'. Chapter...

**Response: Thank you for the praise. I hope this chapter was enough to satisfy your thirst, because I don't know when I will update again. **

AlysSa 4/10/13 . chapter 8

Great Chapter! I agree with you that Seamus should have not been so eager to turn against Harry. I absolutely LOVED Nico and Umbridge's interaction and Madam Pomfrey's declaration. I think you are an AWESOME Author!

**Response: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed that little scene in the hospital wing and approved of me having Seamus see some sense. And thanks for the praise. **

Ame Deri-chan 4/8/13 . chapter 8

Sry, i couldnt log in

Can u explain wat happened to hazel to me? Was she being attacked and tot that HOA was enemy so hazel attacked the HOA? Why was annabeth there? Who threw the greek fire? Erica, one of the HOA or the unknown enemy?

Im sorry for the questions...i just wanna double check im reading everything correctly:) but ur a really gd writer and ur plot is really nice:) pls continue ur gd work:)

Again sorry for being so...er, you know wat...

Im hungry...

**Response: Tried getting this to your inbox, but will put it here as well. **

**What happened was that Hazel was out on the Field of Mars, waiting (at least so she claims) for Frank to arrive. There, she spotted Annabeth and her team, and not recognizing them, called them, demanding that they tell her who they were and their reason for being there. Annabeth and her team tried manipulating her with the Mist, mistaking her for a normal mortal. That didn't work, and then Annabeth and her team tried knocking her unconscious, but that didn't work out either. It came to a fight, where Hazel at some point got a sword from one on Annabeth's team. Then she was about to drop a huge and heavy piece of rock on Annabeth, prompting Thalia to fire at Hazel, alerting her to the HOA's presence. From there, it became HOA + Annabeth's team vs. Hazel. The fight ended when Annabeth put on her cap and managed to stab Hazel. But then someone from Annabeth's team threw a pouch with Greek fire.**

**Hope that cleared it up for you. And don't worry about asking questions. :) If you still don't understand, please let me know, and I will try again :)**

**I'm glad you are enjoying the story.**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Lightningscar**

Alpha33 chapter 8, 4/7/13

**Response: Damn, that was quite a round you gave me there. Next time (assuming you keep reading and reviewing), please log in. Makes it much easier to respond to you. But to address a few of your main concerns. **

**I've already decided on a pairing that will be revealed in next chapter. **

**I have already decided on a weapon as well and I can't say it won't be dual swords for the reason that it takes a long time to master to fight effectively with them. I won't reveal too much about it, but it will be somewhat of a multi-weapon, kinda like those multi-tools with knives, screwdrivers and stuff like that in the sense that it will be three weapons in one form that Nico can choose and change between as he masters it. **

**If you need to flame me because you don't approve of my decisions on pairing or choice of weaponry, feel free to do so. I will use them to roast my food over. **

**Yours sincerely, **

**Lightningscar. **

Reviewer 4/7/13 . chapter 8

I'm very glad you updated. I have been checking every two days for a new update - as you can see, I kinda got obsessed with your story xD. That aside, I think this is one of the best HP/PJO crossovers simply because it is so realistically written, something I really appreciate. Most crossovers just wind up being more or less ridiculous either in details or in narration. I love all the hints you've been dropping - it builds up more believability. And I loved that bit about Poppy remarking she would have recognized the difference between a dog bite and a dragon bite - it just proves that the members of staff weren't the oblivious fools they ended up being in canon, something that infuriated me to no end. For the same reason, I'm relieved it turned out that Dumbledore doesn't know about the existence of gods. In most crossovers, he acts as some sort of deux ex machina - providing cover for the kids, being acquaintances with Chiron and such, and so I would really like to see him having to figure out Nico for himself, for a change. Though, I admit I'm a bit curious as to if Nico really speaks Parseltongue. Oh well, I guess I just have to wait xD. And of course, I look forward to everyone's reactions when the mystery unravels!  
>Anyway, sorry for a long review - I couldn't contain myself - and for any grammar mistakes, as English is not my first language. I know I shouldn't beg writers to hurry up with their updates... even though I'm literally dying for a new one :D. All I'll say is, I hope this story will be completed, and keep goin'! *thumbs up*<p>

**Response: Thank you for the reviews. But please, no begging. It makes me feel uncomfortable. But if you have been checking every two days, I would suggest you get an account. It is for free, and it makes it much easier to leave a review and get a response. **

**But I'm glad you are enjoying my story so much and that you approved of me having Poppy give that remark. Like you, it always infuriated me that Rowling made the Hogwarts staff look like complete fools. Most of the teachers and staff have worked there for decades and must have seen and heard thousands of injuries, excuses and explanations. So how on Earth could Harry and friends get around with some of the stunts they pulled? **

**Heh, you mentioned that scene with Poppy. In the book, I didn't know what the worst was: The lame explanation Ron gave or that Poppy seemly bought it. **

**As for Dumbledore not knowing of demigods: Yeah, that was basically just me changing my mind. **

**Once again, thank you for review and the compliments. Hope this satisfied your thirst a bit. **

**Yours sincerely, **

**Lightningscar**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN1/2: As per request by a reviewer, I will try giving a short résumé of the major events till now. It is not something I will be doing every time though, perhaps every 5-10 chapters. **

**Events up till now**: Nico was attacked late at night by some campers and monsters. He escaped his attackers, but ended up at Hogwarts. Hades, furious at the attack on his only living son has given Camp Half-Blood an ultimatum: Find his son before the winter solstice, or he will have them all hunted down and killed.

Hazel has been attacked near Camp Jupiter by Annabeth, a few campers and the Hunters of Artemis. Enraged, and now suspicious of Nico, Camp Jupiter has sent a squad led by praetor Jason Grace to bring Nico to Camp Jupiter for questioning. Jason and his team confronted Nico, but they lost the fight, a fight that almost completely destroyed the Quidditch Stadium. What none of them knew was that Neville was there to witness and hear some of their conversation and fight. Nico later confronted Neville, and the two of them formed a strange friendship.

Harry, Ron and Hermione, initially suspicious of Nico, have come to think of him as their friend, not knowing that Nico to begin with had an agreement with Draco Malfoy: Information on the Ministry and the magical society in exchange for information on Harry and his friends.

**That about sums it up I think. That being said: Please fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride… it is the longest yet, I think, on this tour. Without further ado, here is the next chapter of 'Dark Phoenix' **

Chapter 10: Battle Tactics, Lesson 101.

Nico wondered, for the umpteenth time, what he had gotten himself into as he surveyed the gathered students in the Room of Requirement. There was a reason he didn't teach any subjects at Camp Half-Blood when he was there: He was no teacher. But for now, he was content with leaning against a bookcase, allowing his thoughts to wander as the other teenagers on the silk cushions on the floor argued over what they should call their group.

Umbridge's response to them forming their group had come a few days later, as she had put up another decree that forbid the forming of groups, organizations, teams, clubs and societies without the High Inquisitor knowing and approving of them. Moreover, already existing clubs, teams etc. had to ask for approval from the High Inquisitor to reform, facing expulsion if they were caught without Umbridge's knowledge and approval. And with the definition of groups, teams and clubs being frequent meetings between three or more students, it was pretty much impossible to meet without drawing suspicion.

It was a smart move on Umbridge's part, Nico had to admit. By putting forth a definition of what she meant by a club and the consequences of being caught, she had made hiding their activities much harder. Not to mention that the fear of expulsion might dissuade a lot of people. And the worst part was that there was nothing they could do about it. Her, or rather the Ministry's move, was perfectly legal as it could be put together with a rule about preventing the students from consuming drugs or strong alcohol at Hogwarts.

Nico shook his head. It was no brainer that someone had run their mouth. Apparently it was none of the gathered students as Hermione had told them that they would know because of a jinx she had cast on a piece of parchment all of the members had signed. All but Nico, as he had been having a rather unpleasant conversation with Jason Grace at the time. He had signed it later, but fact remained that he should be considered a suspect by the others, but that didn't seem to be the case. Well, from the looks of it, some like Zacharias thought so, though he didn't dare voice his suspicions out loud.

Nico himself had three suspects: Draco Malfoy was one of them as he might have run straight to Umbridge after their last meeting. But that didn't make that much sense to Nico. Sure, it was Malfoy's style, but considering that the decree only came right after the meeting in Hogsmeade and not before, it seemed unlikely. That left Nico with two main suspects: The mummy and the witch covered in veils. Both seemed like likely candidates, as the bartender seemed to be the type of guy that minded his own business. He sighed internally. Nothing he could do about it.

The son of Hades looked around the room. The Room of Requirement really was a magnificent room. When he first heard they were going to use the room, he had been more than a tad nervous about them discovering his forge and illegal weapons, but the room they had asked for had no trace what-so-ever of the smithery or the blades, or the flat piece of metal with cutting edges and a form similar to a gourd. Or with a bit of imagination, it could look like a butterfly or snowman.

Nico frowned. Ever since his meeting with Jason in Hogsmeade, the son of Hades had scouted through the Dark or Forbidden Forest, depending on who you asked, searching for the Romans' camp. He suspected Jason had told him they were there in the hopes of luring him out of the castle and capturing him. Well, he had come out alright. But they had been oblivious to his presence when he found their camp last night. It was a small camp with two tents and a fire. But their mood had been more heated than the fire. Apparently, Jason had put their mission on hold; no doubt because of what Nico had told him about Thalia. The son of Jupiter almost looked catatonic and Nico almost, almost, felt bad for being the cause of it, but he had told Jason about Thalia for another reason than respect. He respected Jason very much and he had had no longer any reason to hide that Thalia was still alive, but he also hoped that telling Jason about Thalia would throw the son of Jupiter off his back and get him some breathing room. So far, it seemed to be working as Jason apparently had vetoed Frank's, who was over his flu, idea of scouting Hogwarts in one of his animal forms, much to the son of Mars' anger and frustration. But Jason was the oldest camper and the team leader, not to mention praetor, and as such, had the final word.

But the son of Hades decided that he better be more observant of small animals inside Hogwarts as the Beast Boy wannabe would either go against orders, or when the Static wannabe got over his shock. Nico chuckled. Jason and Frank hadn't been too happy with him the first time he made that comparison. Though, none of them could match Octavian's anger when Nico told the augur to stop wasting his time with prophecies from fortune cookies.

"Nico, are you listening?"

Nico blinked before focusing on Hermione who was giving him a look of concern. "Sorry Hermione. Guess I zoned out for a minute there."

Some of the Gryffindors snickered and he was sure he heard some comments about him doing that a lot, but he chose to focus on Hermione's response. "I was just asking if you would have any problem with us calling ourselves for Dumbledore's Army? After all, you are also a co-founder and one of our teachers."

Nico shrugged. "Dumbledore's Army? Sure, why not. But if we are going to train tonight, I suggest we do it now." He looked at Harry. "Got anything planned?"

Harry gave a brief nod. Nico might be his friend, but the piercing gaze of the other boy still unnerved him "Yeah. I thought we should start with Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming spell. I know it is a beginner-level spell, but…"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, give me a break." All heads turned to Zacharias Smith who sat with crossed arms. "I don't really think Expelliarmus are going to do us much good against You-Know-Who, do you?"

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but the room grew cold and dark as Nico spoke. "The Disarming Charm might not be of much use against Voldemort. But, and this goes for all of you, the basic spells should be the backbone of your arsenal. Something you can always use if you find yourself low on energy or another dire situation. Also, ask yourself this: If you haven't mastered the basics, what chance do you have at mastering the advanced stuff? Why do you think the first years aren't taught seventh year material?"

Silence fell as people considered Nico's words, the room returning to its normal illumination and temperature. Harry had to hand to Nico: He understood getting his point across, even if it made their friends feel like idiots. And no matter how this session would go, he was sure one thing would stick with the other members: When Nico talks, you shut up and listen. No what ifs or buts about it, you just do. But as funny as it was to see Zacharias squirming in his seat under Nico's cold gaze, they needed to move on.

Feeling a little dry in the mouth when all heads turned to him, Harry spoke. "Okay, I think we should spread out and practice two-and-two." It was strange telling others what to do, but it was even stranger to see the same instructions being carried out immediately and without complaint. Though, Harry had the feeling that people were just being extra compliant less they risk incurring Nico's wrath. Seeing Neville standing alone, Harry walked over.

"You can train with me. Ready - on the count of three – one, two..."

"Actually, Harry," Nico interrupted, "I would like to train with Neville. I have a few things I would like to talk with him about. Besides, this way you can help the others a bit more."

Harry frowned before nodding. Ever since that Jason guy appeared during their meeting, Neville had been more nervous than usual. Not to mention, the way all colour had left his face upon seeing the older boy, leaving no doubt in Harry's mind that the Herbology prodigy had met, or at least seen him before. And Nico definitely knew Jason. And from the looks of it, things were a bit tense between the two cousins. Harry knew that it wasn't really his business and he, Hermione and Ron had stopped trying to figure out who Nico was. They was convinced he was not a Death Eater or some spy, but with a cousin suddenly appearing and buying Fire Whiskey for the two of them… well, let's just say it rekindled some of their curiosity a bit.

It was an obvious trick on Nico's part to get to talk with Neville without anyone listening in on their conversation since there would be a lot of noise and spells being fired around. And judging from the smirk on Nico's face, he knew Harry was aware of it and how it irked him. Especially since there was nothing he could do about it. So with a small glare, Harry headed towards Dean and Seamus.

Nico chuckled at Harry's sulking as he drew his wand. "Ready Neville?"

The Herbology genius gave a small nervous nod. "As ready as I'm ever going to be when facing someone who can flatten me and reduce me to a grease spot if he wants."

Nico frowned a bit at the wording but then he shrugged. "On the count of three… one… two… three!" Neville moved, but Nico was faster. "Expelliarmus!"

Neville had tried being disarmed before in Lockhart's Duelling Club in second year. However, the power difference between Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nico di Angelo made the experience very different. When it was Justin back in their second year, his wand left his hand and landed between him and Justin. Same spell, but used by Nico? Well, Neville now had a fair idea about how getting hit by a Bludger felt like, as he felt the wind getting knocked out of him and his feet leaving the ground, before landing several feet from his standing position. Groaning, he looked up to see Nico's worried face.

"Sorry Neville, are you alright?" Neville gave a nod. "Am I right in assuming that was not meant to happen?"

Neville nodded as allowed Nico to haul him to his feet. "Yeah. My guess is that you put too much energy into the spell."

Nico frowned. "So it not just about pronouncing the words right or making the right wand movement; One also has to control how much energy you put into the spell, even with combat spells?" Nico sighed. "How troublesome. Well, guess there is nothing to do but try again and again until I get it right." He chuckled a little at Neville's scared look. "Don't worry Neville. I'm going to let you catch your breath first. While you do so, I was wondering about your sensing ability. Can you sense people miles away or just people in your vicinity?"

Neville looked around, nervous about people hearing about his sensing ability, but people were too busy trying to get the spell right or dodging out of the way of stray ones to pay attention to them. Speaking in a low voice, he slumped against a bookcase, Nico right beside him

"My sensing abilities are limited in several ways. I can only sense people I've seen before, and that is only if they are powerful enough to stand out in a crowd, such as you." He looked to see Nico frowning at him, making it clear that he was still a bit confused. Neville sighed. "If you want an example: Despite having seen and known Harry for years, and despite him being one of the more powerful in our age group, I can't tell where he is standing right now without looking for him. There are too many people. If we were five in the room, and I knew them well, then, maybe, just maybe, I would be able to tell where Harry was." He turned to look at Nico again. "You understand now? It was only because I have seen you and Jason that I could sense Jason; and because you and Jason are so much more powerful than us that I could sense him before he entered. But I have to see someone beforehand to, well, get a feel of their aura or raw magical power. So in theory, despite him being so much stronger, You-Know-Who could stand right behind me and I would be no the wiser if there are more than five or ten people in the room."

Nico frowned and Neville was sure the other boy was disappointed that his sensing abilities weren't better. But to his surprise, Nico nodded in thought before smiling. "I see. Well, more than enough to work with."

Neville frowned. "Aren't you disappointed that my abilities aren't better?"

Nico shook his head, a sad look entering his eyes. "No, not really. I've seen too many people die to think that way. Some of them were my comrades, some were… younger students. Admittedly, it is better now than it was just a few years ago, but that aren't the point. The survivors bemoaned how they wished they had been better at their special abilities or had other, more powerful powers." He sighed. "I know it sounds cynical, but the dead have no use of your guilt. Nor do they have any use of your regret over not being good enough. You have the powers you have; nothing more, nothing less. The dead have no use of them… the living do. So what one can do, is honing one's powers and learn to use them to the best of your ability, giving yourself an advantage in a fight." The sadness and bitterness vanished slowly as he smiled. "So… ready for another bout?"

Neville nodded, silently wondering just what kind of school Nico was from since they allowed young kids to fight in life and death battles. But after a few seconds, Neville decided that he would actually rather not know, and they took their positions once more. Twenty minutes later, and Neville still hadn't managed to disarm Nico. But at least he hadn't been blasted off his feet again. "I think you gain more from training with Harry, Nico. He is more your level… should be more of a challenge."

Nico frowned as he tossed back Neville's wand to him, taking in his crestfallen expression. The son of Hades let out a sigh. "This isn't about who is a good challenge, Neville. It is about learning the basic forms of defence before moving on to the hard stuff. Trust me; I've still a lot to learn about your way of fighting, or duelling as you call it. From what I've observed so far, your style is mostly mid- to long-range fighting. It is, from what I've seen so far, just shouting funny words and pointing a piece of wood at your opponent. The way I'm used to fighting is close range-range, getting in my enemy's face, but I can also fight mid- and long-range if the situation calls for it." He sighed, a smile spreading on his lips. "Now, tell me: What happened after I left that pub?"

Neville laughed. Yeah, Nico knew to fight from a distance alright. There was no need to tell him that. But him mentioning what happened in the Hog's Head after he left caused some funny memories to resurface.

"After you left, Ron told Hermione that he was right about the bartender selling Fire Whiskey without questions. This in turn caused Hermione to chew him out, reminding him yet again that he is a Prefect now." Neville laughed harder. "That didn't stop the Weasley twins though. They went straight to the bar and bought a glass of Fire Whiskey themselves, Lee right behind them. And since they are all of age, there was nothing Hermione or any of the Prefects could do about it. But the funniest part about it was that they all refused to buy anything for us not yet of age. When Ron demanded why not, all of them said that they didn't want to get into trouble with the Prefects."

Nico laughed loudly, causing several of the nearest students to look their way. "Not getting into trouble with the Prefects… yeah right, and I'm Santa Claus. Knowing the twins, they only did it to get a rise out of Ron. Though, it was probably a smart thing they didn't. The poor bartender would probably get into trouble if Umbridge happened to come by." He chuckled a bit before growing serious. "Any unpleasant questions about Jason?"

Neville shook his head. "No, not really. I don't think any of them suspects it was you and Jason that destroyed the Quidditch Stadium. I think Harry suspects that I've seen Jason before, but I'm not sure. He has not tried grilling me about it yet. There was a bit of talk about who he was and what he could want with you. Though, I think I heard some people wondering if he was single and if you would give them his address."

Nico snorted. They would have to compete with Reyna over Jason's affections, and he doubted they would be that eager to visit him if he told them that Jason currently lived in the Dark Forest. But it didn't surprise him that Harry suspected Neville knew about Jason; he was very observant and combined with his curious nature, it made a dangerous mix. Nico had no illusions: Sooner or later, Harry would figure out who and maybe even what Jason and he were. But the longer before that day came, the better. Harry and his friends had no place in a three-way battle royal between Camp Jupiter, Camp Half-Blood and Nico. Speaking of battle… it was time for him to take over this meeting now. Looking up, he got eye-contact with Harry and pointed at his watch. Harry looked at his own before giving a brief nod. A wolfish smirk spread across Nico's face and Neville suddenly felt nervous for what the other boy had planned.

Nico cab whistled so loudly that he wondered if they heard it in New York. But it definitely got the attention of the D.A. members as they all halted their casting and turned to look at him. Though, the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry all covered their ears and muttered stuff about shouting, old hag and summer. Nico didn't really ponder why his cab whistle would give them those associations, but it was funny nonetheless.

Once they all had gathered before him, Nico spoke. "Okay, time for me to take over this lesson. But first: I know you have a lot of questions regarding my cousin Jason… considering you have been bugging me about him for the past week or so. So to answer some of those questions: Yes, he is my cousin since he is the son of my father's little brother. He is seventeen or eighteen, I don't quite remember, and he already has a girlfriend. Yes, he bought a bottle of Fire Whiskey and we had few glasses of it. But he kept the bottle." Well, that was a blatant lie, considering it was currently hidden under one of Nico's pillows in the dormitory, but he didn't see any reason telling them that. "We had a small argument and there will probably be more if I meet him again. No, I don't know his current address and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. He and his friends who accompanied him from the States aren't the most friendly of people, at least not right now, and they wouldn't take kindly to uninvited guests. Other questions?" No one said anything. "Good. Then let's get this show on the road."

Nico closed his eyes and a mat, like one used for karate and other martial arts, appeared between them and a bucket filled with blue powder popped up at Nico's feet.

Harry and the other who had been raised by Muggles took one look at the mat, Nico taking off his shoes and loosening his shirt, and they all connected the dots and they just had one thought: Oh boy. The half-bloods made the connection a bit slower, but the pure-bloods remained clueless. Ron decided to ask for all of them.

"Eh, Nico, mate, what are you doing?"

Nico cracked his neck, then his fingers and spoke in a nonchalant voice. "Making preparations for what I'm here for: Teach you guys how to fight. But unlike Harry, I will teach you how to fight without your wands."

Ernie Macmillan frowned. "But we are wizards. Why would we want to learn to fight without wands?"

Nico sighed, aggravated. "Because you are too dependent on your wands. If you misplace, forget or lose your wand, you are helpless; especially during battle. Some of you are probably thinking: 'But we won't be without or lose our wands'. Yeah, just like the heroes that never runs out of bullets. There is just one minor, but pretty important detail: The heroes who never run out of bullets are fiction; this is real life. And in real life, you will run out of bullets if you don't get more from the armoury or steal some from the enemy. Or, a better example would be that in real life, chances are you will be without your wand for one reason or another. Anyways, the point is, if you get disarmed, have your wand snapped during a fight or the enemy manages to close the distance between you, you are sitting ducks… unless you can get your wand back, or take the wand of your opponent or knows how to defend yourself properly in hand-to-hand combat."

He knelt down and started putting the blue powder in his face until it was completely blue. Once finished, he gave them all a pointed look. "The first one of you who as much as thinks of calling me a smurf will be volunteering as the first living picture. We don't have much time, so we won't be doing much training today. Instead, I will teach you a few basic rules, or lessons, you can use in a fight, be it with or without a wand. But first, let's practise without a wand." He walked onto the mat, stopping at the middle. "Any volunteers?"

Ron frowned. "No offence mate, but I don't see how you can give us tips on Muggle fighting. It is pretty straight forward: Beat the other to a pulp. Brute strength and weight is the only thing that matters; ask Goyle and Crabbe."

Nico chuckled. "Really? Well then Ron, why don't you come up here and prove your claim? You are both taller and heavier than me; taking me down should be easy." He smirked when he saw Ron going pale. "Or are you a chicken?" The pale face got some red back in it. No Weasley wanted to be made fun of. Just one more push. "Tell you what: If you can touch my face, without the use of your wand, removing some of the blue colour, I will do your Transfiguration homework next week."

Ron did a double take. He didn't need to look at Hermione to know that she was giving him and Nico dirty looks. Though, he didn't know who she was most mad at: Nico for baiting him with an offer that was too sweet to refuse, or him taking it. Still… a coin has two sides. "And if I can't?"

Nico shrugged. "Then you do your homework yourself."

Ron looked perplexed as he loosened his shirt and took off his shoes and watch. "So you are saying that if I can remove a bit of the paint from your face, you will do my Transfiguration homework for me next week." A nod. "And if I can't, I don't have to anything for you." Another nod and Ron was suddenly smirking "Nico, mate," he gave Harry his wand for safekeeping. "Prepare to do my homework. You are going down."

With that Ron walked onto the mat and took position in front of Nico. The son of Hades smiled. "Whenever you are ready… as long as it is tonight, that is."

Nico didn't need to say that twice. Ron lunged, arms outstretched, eager to just wiping the blue paint off. Nico, on the other hand, had no intention of doing Ron's homework. He calmly swatted both of Ron's outstretched hands away. Then he almost danced past Ron by simply turning on his heel, like a bullfighter dodging an angry… well, bull. Just with the added fact that Nico cuffed Ron upside the head once he was behind him. After rubbing his head and glaring at him, Ron charged again. Nico waited till the right moment: Then he grabbed the redhead's arm with his left, pivoted on his feet and smacked the back of Ron's head again.

"Ron, you do realize that at this rate you will never hit me, right?"

Ron growled. Then he attacked. But this time, he aimed his punch right for Nico's face. But Nico moved faster. One more, he pivoted around Ron. But this time, once he was more or less behind the redhead, he delivered a quick kick to the hollow of Ron's right knee. It was not hard, barely a marking, but it was enough to make Ron buckle. But before his knees hit the mat, Nico gave him a light shove-push between the shoulder blades, causing his redheaded roomie to fall flat on his face.

Nico looked down at his redheaded friend. "Lie still for a moment; give your body time to get over the shock." He got down and started massaging the offended joint. "You did the right thing in the end: You came at me for real. But your anger clouded your judgement, and you didn't learn the lesson the first time." He looked up at the others once he was sure Ron was fine. "Rule number one, aside for keeping calm: Don't let your enemy get behind you. Especially not more than once. You might be lucky the first time, and perhaps even the second time, but sooner or later, your luck will run out." He looked down on Ron. "We okay?" The redhead gave a nod and Nico smiled before his dark eyes searched the students before settling on his next victim… eh, sparring partner. "Harry, you are up next."

Harry swallowed, but got ready nonetheless. Once Ron was by his side, he handed over his wand and whispered. "Ron, are you okay?"

His friend grunted. "Yeah, I'm fine. My pride is hurt more than my body." He glanced at Nico. "But if you want a piece of advice: Watch out for those quick feet of his."

Harry gave him a searching look. "So you aren't mad at him?"

Ron shook his head and replied in low voice. "Nah, we are good. I'm only mad at myself for not keeping my mouth shut and taking such obvious bait." He chuckled. "Hermione is never going to let me live it down though. But if I was going to get beat in front of a lot of people, I'm glad it was him. He got skill, no doubt about that."

Harry nodded and got on the mat, feeling ready to get his butt kicked. Nico nodded in acknowledgement. "If you can push me out of the ring on the mat, you win."

Harry nodded, having noticed the white circle on the red mat. He attacked Nico with fast jabs. Hey, be Dudley's boxing bag for a few years, and you pick up a few tricks. Nico was parrying and dodging each strike, but he was backing up. That was when it happened. One of Harry's blows got through Nico's defences and hit his shoulder, causing the taller boy to stumble backwards. One more push, and he would be out of the ring. But Harry couldn't reach him with his arms and he didn't want Nico to regain his footing. So he did the only logical thing he could think of: He aimed a kick at Nico.

'Gotcha!' Afterwards, Harry would ask himself: 'Yeah, Potter, right. What the Hell were you thinking? Oh yeah, that is right: You weren't.'

As fast as a snake, Nico caught Harry's foot, making the Boy-Who-Lived fighting to keep his balance on his left foot. Harry glanced at Nico's smirking mug before he hit the mat as Nico removed his ground connection with a quick sweep of the leg. Then he felt a foot press down on his chest as Nico stood over him, smiling.

"Rule number two: Don't go for the obvious kill… it might be a trap. Traps can be very elaborate and hard to see through. Some traps are much simpler, but can be just as deadly. So if the bait is obvious… don't take it." He looked at Harry, making sure he was okay, before calling out. "Fred, George, Lee: You are next. No wands."

Murmuring broke out among the students. Sure, Nico was good at Muggle fist fighting, but the three seventh years were all bigger than him. And when they surrounded Nico, most were sure he was biting over more than he could chew. But when he flipped Lee over his shoulder, despite the older boy attacking from behind, they weren't so sure. But they were even more surprised when two bookcases suddenly tilted behind Nico, effectively blocking access to his back. Nico smiled as he backed further into the corner the bookcases formed. And suddenly it wasn't three-to-one, but one-on-one.

"Rule number three: Never fight on the terms of your enemy. Use everything in your surroundings to your advantage. A tree, tables, chairs... anything. And if you are outnumbered, find or create some place where numbers won't matter. A chokepoint or a bottleneck… whatever floats your boat. Given the right circumstances, one man can, in theory, keep a hundred men at bay. As you can see, only Fred can attack me right now, evening the odds quite a bit. Thank you Fred, George, Lee. You can step down now." He looked at his watch as he had the shadows put back the bookcases. If his estimation was right, they would have ten minutes to train in, once his demonstration was done. More than enough time then. His eyes landed on Neville. "Neville… you are up next. Let's see if you can beat me."

Neville gulped. Hadn't Nico embarrassed him enough for tonight? But then again, he had already made a mockery of Harry, Ron, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan; not the worst guys to be compared to. Neville took a deep breath as he stepped up on the mat, getting ready for a whooping.

Nico smiled. "Whenever you are ready, Neville."

Neville gave a tight nod. And then he did something incredible brave and stupid. He pulled out his wand and shouted the first spell that came to mind. "Expelliarmus!"

A jet of red light flew from Neville's wand and it hit Nico right in the chest, sending him flying off the mattress and onto the hard floor with a thump. Silence reigned for a few seconds, but then laughter filled the room. And it was coming from the very person who had just gotten blasted off his feet.

"Well done, Neville, well done. Seems like I will be doing your Transfiguration homework next week." He sat up, looking in mirror that just appeared, causing him to frown. "On second thought, no I don't. You haven't removed any of the paint. But it's still your victory."

Terry Boot frowned. "What? But that makes no sense. Neville used a wand to beat you. In other words, he cheated."

Nico laughed. "Because he showed the next two rules better than I could ever hope for. Rule number four: Never underestimate your enemy, be it in terms of powers, numbers or the lengths he will go to get to you. And rule number five: Don't fight fair. Your enemy isn't likely to follow the rules or fight fair, so you shouldn't do him the favour of doing it yourself. Besides, I never said he wasn't allowed to use his wand in our little demonstration"

Nico stood and closed his eyes, causing the entire room to ripple as several mats appeared along with a stop watch. "Now that this little demonstration is over, it is time for you to practice those five rules in pairs. For the next five minutes, you will spar with each other. Your objective is simple: Make sure your partner goes down for five seconds more times than you do. Everything goes: Hits, kicks, tickling, wedgies, pulling hair, targeting of the groin, groping etc. Wands are allowed too, but it will cost you five push-ups for every spell you use. When time runs out, I will have a reward for the winners and a punishment for the losers. All ready?" A lot of people looked mutinous, but apparently the promise of reward had them all nodding and teaming up on the mats. Once everyone was in position, Nico gave a nod and started the watch. "Begin."

The room was instantly filled with noise and yelling as they began battling each other, trying to get their opponent down. But at least no one had drawn their wands. Nico turned his head when he felt someone tapping his shoulder. "What is it, Neville?"

Neville took a steadying breath. "Shouldn't I be, you know, be sparring right now?"

Nico shrugged. "If you want. Your prize for beating me is being able to relax the rest of this meeting, but if you want to spar, I'm game."

Neville mulled it in his head a few times. He wanted to practise, but he also knew that he would be very sore tomorrow if he did. "I think I would like to relax then. But I would like to spar someday… if you still want to, that is."

Nico nodded, a smile on his lips. "Sure thing Neville."

Neville smiled, a real smile. "Do you really have a reward for all the winners?"

Nico nodded, a sly smirk appearing on his face. "Sure do. They only have to do ten push-ups plus the five for every spell they used."

The Herbology genius frowned. "How is that a reward?"

Nico chuckled. "Because the punishment for those who loses will be twenty push-ups… plus their spells."

Neville gave the Transfiguration prodigy a disbelieving look. "People aren't going to be happy with that. It isn't exactly their version of fairness and fun."

Nico shrugged, but Neville did notice the darkening of his eyes. "Life is seldomly fair, Neville. They better get used to it. Also, who ever said training had to be fun? It's their choice if they want to do what I say during these sessions. But I say it is better to be sore and bitter over the training being gruelling and unfair than being a corpse." He sighed. "Sorry Neville, that was uncalled for. I just have a lot on my mind at the moment. Guess the stress is finally catching up with me."

Neville nodded, silently accepting the apology, but he couldn't stop the shivering going down his spine. Nico might be his friend, but the way he so easily referred to death still unnerved him. But considering what he had seen him do and heard him say earlier the evening, Neville knew that Nico was no stranger to battle and death. But he could relate to life not being fair… all too well. He considered telling Nico about his parents, but reconsidered it. He didn't want to trouble his friend with that. Not when it seemed Nico had more than enough to deal with on his platter.

The five minutes went by fast and as Neville predicted, none of them were happy about the prize or punishment. However, they all dropped down and started their push-ups; the Gryffindors with no complaints, the Hufflepuffs did complain a little but did it anyways. The Ravenclaws, however, glared but once Cho Chang, Padma Patil and some girl named Luna Lovegood started doing their push-ups, the rest followed. Once they were done, Harry spoke.

"Okay everyone, that was brilliant, but we have to get out of here if we don't want to get caught after curfew. Same time next week?"

"Rather before." Dean said eagerly, and several nodded their agreement. Though, a few gave Nico some weary and dirty looks.

But Angelina spoke up. "Hold on. What about the Quidditch season? It starts the moment the repairs on the stadium are done, and we need to train."

"We will say Wednesday evening," Harry said, wondering why Neville was shooting Nico nervous glances and why Nico's lips twitched a little. "And plan lessons from there. Now, we really need to get out of here."

With that he started letting out people in small groups of three or four, keeping an eye on them on the Marauder's Map when someone spoke over his shoulder. "That is one fancy map you've got there, Harry."

Harry almost dropped the map, but looked back to see Nico eyeing the map with curious eyes. Now that the other boy had seen it, Harry guessed there was no point in trying to hide it anymore. "Yeah, it shows all of Hogwarts and its grounds, and where everyone is. That was also how we knew that Jason and the others came to Hogwarts that night, but before I could explain it to you, you were gone." Harry suddenly had a strange revelation. Could Nico have gone to fight Jason that night, destroying the Quidditch Stadium in the process? His suspicion was more or less confirmed when a calculating look entered the black eyes of his friend. "Nico, do you want me to alert you if your cousin shows up again?"

Nico shot him a surprised look before smiling. "You know, that would be nice. Thanks Harry."

Harry nodded and turned to look at Ron and Hermione. "Ready to go?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes. I think tonight's meeting went very well you two." She shot Nico a small nervous smile. "I think we were right in making you co-leader. I think people liked your part of the meeting, even if they weren't all too happy about the rewards"

Nico just shrugged. Personally, he could care less if people liked his lesson. But he was glad to hear that they didn't think they were wrong in making him co-leader of their little association. But before he could reply, Ron spoke.

"Yeah, this meeting was awesome. Did you guys see me disarm Hermione?" Then he winced. "But Nico, mate, did you have to permit kicks in the groin?"

Nico looked at Ron, then Hermione who had gotten a tad pink in the cheeks, then back at Ron before he started laughing. "Wait… Hermione… did you?"

Hermione turned scarlet. "He… he groped me on my butt!"

Nico laughed even harder and turned out the argument between the two friends. Harry, on the other hand, was looking at Nico with slightly scared eyes. If he was correct in his suspicion, two, or a small group of teenagers, had wrecked the Quidditch Stadium. He briefly considered telling it to his two friends, once they were alone that is, but decided against it. Who would believe him? He had no proof. Besides, it didn't really matter. Nico was his friend now. And if it could help him, and the rest of Hogwarts and her students, Harry was going to keep an eye on the Marauder's Map for any sign of trouble coming their way.

00000

Nico was lounging in the grass near the Black Lake, enjoying the October sun alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione. Well, he was lounging. The two boys and Hermione were doing their Transfiguration homework. Ah okay, Harry and Ron were doing their homework while Hermione sat reading a book while a pair of socks knitted themselves.

The son of Hades was, despite what people might think of him right now, feeling restless. The search team from Camp Half-Blood was getting closer, he knew it. But they were also getting sloppy. Either that, or Festus had crash-landed for some reason or another.

It had been all over the Daily Prophet, even putting their smearing campaign against Harry and Dumbledore on hold. The headline was something along the lines of: Dragon near Edinburgh. Funny thing was that no one had seen a dragon. What they had seen however, were the footprints of a dragon in the sand on a beach north-east of the city. That wasn't what clued Nico in on the searchers from Camp Half-Blood getting closer however. It was the fact that the authorities had found several footprints from humans and what appeared to be being a goat or a donkey moving calmly away from the scene, something that baffled them to no end. There was no sign of battle or of the dragon snatching the unfortunate souls before moving on. Another thing that puzzled the investigators sent by the Ministry was how smooth the dragon footprints were. Usually, a dragon footprint would be raw because of the hide, or the claws would be damaged or uneven in length. These were smooth and even in length.

The news had spread among the student population, but none of them seemed overly concerned about it. Most of the older students seemed to believe it was a trick by one group or another while the younger students believed it to be an elaborate trick, despite how 'perfect' the prints were . Nico couldn't really fault their logic; they had never seen Festus or another dragon automaton. But Nico had, and the numbers of footprints found near the one of the dragon's indicated the numbers of the ones send to 'rescue' him.

His friends stopped talking and a shadow fell over him, blocking out the sun he was enjoying. Opening his eyes slightly, he looked up at Malfoy's sneering face. "Hello Malfoy. What do I owe the displeasure of your visit? And could you please move? You are blocking the sun."

The son of Hades closed his eyes again and waited for the Slytherin to speak and move. When neither happened, he spoke with just a tad of ice in his voice. "Listen Malfoy, you are really trying my patience here. And I'm not very patient to begin with. So say what you want to say and get lost."

Draco snarled. "Careful di Angelo, or I might have to give you a detention."

Nico opened his eyes again, giving him an unimpressed look. "For what?"

Draco glared, a smirk pulling at his lips. "For disrespecting and threatening a Prefect."

Nico chuckled and slowly got to his feet, his three friends following suit, ignoring the crowd that seemed to be gathering around them. "You are a slow learner, aren't you, Malfoy? You have tried intimidating me several times by now; usually when I'm on my own. Last time, you even drew your wand at me and I warned you that even Buddha gets mad if you hit him three times and last time was your second. If you want to give me detention, go right ahead. We both know that if you had the guts for it, you would have found some ridiculous excuse a long time ago. Face it Draco: You don't have the guts to give me a detention, much less fight me. And take a look around you: There are no teachers around. So if you want to curse me for scaring you, you might as well take your shot now."

Much to his surprise, Draco actually drew his wand and jabbed it in Harry's direction. "Silencio!" Hermione and Ron moved for their wands, but Crabbe and Goyle pointed their wands at them and moved so they stood in between the Golden Trio and Nico and Draco. The Malfoy heir chuckled and pointed his wand at Nico whose eyes had narrowed as he looked between his Gryffindor friends, the two bulky Slytherin boys and the Prefect. "You are right in being worried, di Angelo. I've seen through you now. You might control black fire, but you wouldn't dare use it against a human. In other words, you are all talk, but no bite."

Nico gave him a long look, eyes hardening. "That was your last warning, Malfoy. I don't care if you threaten me, but threatening my friends was a big mistake. But it seems I misjudged you: You have a lot of guts. Either that or perhaps you are just stupid. But if you really want to fight, take off your little badge there so we duel on equal terms. Or are you the one who is all bark and no bite?"

Draco's face went red in anger. "You are not my equal, you filthy half-blood. Serpensortia Rexes!"

Three snakes were shot from the tip of Malfoy's wand. One, the largest of them, was a nine metres long anaconda. The second was a three metres long black mamba and the third was a beautiful small snake, a little over one metre, called a blue krait. All three snakes were hissing at Nico who had drawn his own wand.

The son of Hades gave each snake a calculating look. "Serpensortia Rexes… the snake kings. The anaconda of South America; the black mamba of Africa, and, last but definitely not least, a blue krait of Asia. Not bad Draco, not bad at all." He turned to Hermione. "I don't suppose you know a spell that can conjure up a couple of lions or the Ravenclaws know a spell to summon eagles?"

Hermione shook her head, a frightened look on her face. "No, but Nico, watch out! The black mamba and blue krait are among the world's most venomous snakes!"

Draco smirked. "The Mudblood is right, di Angelo. It would the smartest move if you surrender and admit your inferiority to me right now. The snakes get harder to control as time passes, you know."

Nico just gave him a deadpan look as he pocketed his wand. "I won't even need my wand to beat you, much less Black Hellfire. As for admitting my inferiority to you: Sorry, but I must not tell lies."

Draco stared at Nico for a full minute. The condescending look di Angelo was giving him did not waver. It was infuriating! He was the heir to one of the most powerful wizard families of Britain, and yet the American was looking at him like he wasn't even worth his time! It was an insult!

'Well,' Draco thought 'let's see what he says when those three are bearing down on him.' He pointed his wand at Nico and ignored the yells and screams from the Mudblood and blood traitor. "Get him!"

The serpents struck with unbelievable speed and soon the anaconda had wrapped itself around Nico so that only his mouth and eyes were free; eyes that were still giving him the same condescending look. Draco's eyes widened as the poisonous snakes attacked. He had only meant to scare di Angelo into submission, not kill him!

Everything seemed to blur. The crowd was a pandemonium. Hermione's screams, Ron's yelling and Harry kicking and hitting at the two bigger Slytherin boys; he had yet to learn to non-verbal spells and the Silencing Charm had yet to wear off. He was helpless!

"_Serpents! Hear me and obey. Cease your attacks and unleash me._"

Harry's eyes widened and he forgot all about trying to get past Crabbe and Goyle who looked just as shocked. Ron's mouth was hanging open and his eyes were as wide as saucers. Hermione had stopped screaming and were staring wide-eyed at the serpents that had halted their attacks.

"No… it's impossible." Draco Malfoy had gone deadly white, and his whisper belied his fear

"_Serpents… obey me. Unleash me._"

Harry was shocked to his core. He might be temporarily mute, but his hearing was intact. There was no mistaking it. Nico had spoken in Parseltongue. And unlike Harry who only had spoken it thrice, two times without even realizing it, Nico seemed to know exactly what he was saying. His voice held so much authority that Harry briefly wondered if Nico could be a son of Voldemort, but then he felt like bashing his head. He was their age, and Harry was pretty sure Dumbledore would know if Voldemort had a teenage son. Not to mention, Voldemort wasn't the kind of guy who would want to settle down and get a family.

"_Unleash me and heed my commands._"

The anaconda released its vice-like grip so that Nico could move, but it stayed coiled around him, and the two venomous snakes coiled themselves around Nico's feet. The son of Hades chuckled as he petted the anaconda and looked at Draco who, if possible, was paler than a ghost.

Nico chuckled. "That was fun, Malfoy. I take it is my turn now?" He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle who looked absolutely dumbfounded. "Let's see. Three Slytherins… three snakes. How fitting. _Serpents… scare them away. No deadly force._"

Draco had no smart remark, nor did he hang around to continue their duel. Instead, he bolted for the castle the moment Nico switched to Parseltongue. And seeing their ringleader running, Crabbe and Goyle followed right in his heels. But on his way, he heard the laughter of the student crowd and the calls of:

"Yeah, run you slimy weasel!" and "Scaredy-cat!", "Chicken!" and perhaps worst of all: "Loser! You attacked with numbers and still got your ass whooped"' ringing in his head all the way down to the Slytherin common room.

But once he was far away from Nico di Angelo, his feeling of humiliation turned to anger. Nico di Angelo had made a fool out of him! He had made him lose face in front of so many people! He would have to pay. And Draco had an idea how to get even. It was simple and brilliant. And if his plan worked, di Angelo would be reduced to a crying mess in front of everyone. But first, he would need to inform his father about this newest revelation

00000

"Mr di Angelo. A word please."

Nico sighed but gave a nod to the Transfiguration teacher before turning to his friends. "I will be okay guys. See you later." The trio gave him some doubtful looks before closing the doors. Shouldering his bag, the son of Hades stopped in front of the professor's desk. "Professor McGonagall, did I do something wrong? Or is this about what went down by the lake three days ago?"

Minerva's lips thinned. She, like the rest of the staff was well aware that there had been a showdown between the young Malfoy heir and their newest student, though the details of what exactly went down were a bit unclear. They had, however, heard the rumours going on about Nico, the second Parselmouth to walk Hogwarts within the decade. It was the Chamber of Secrets all over again, minus the attacks by some mysterious beast. The worst rumour she had heard thus far was Nico being He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's great-grandson, or some nonsense like that, who had come to take revenge on Harry Potter for causing the Dark Lord's downfall. The staff had already looked into it; especially those who were members of the Order. None of them had found anything that would even suggest di Angelo being related to Voldemort. Still, they were concerned about this new revelation. Especially since, according to Severus, Voldemort had taken an interest in their transfer student. No doubt Draco had mailed his father about Nico being a Parselmouth, who in turn had told the Dark Lord, causing the dark wizard's curiosity about di Angelo to go up a notch or two.

The Transfiguration teacher sighed. "No Mr di Angelo, it is not. Unless of course you want to give your version of what happened that afternoon?" Nico shook his head. "Very well then." Her gaze softened a bit. "How are you taking all of this? I'm not sure if Harry has told you this, but a few years ago, the school was in uproar because one of the students was discovered to be a Parselmouth. Said student was ostracized by most of the student populace and suspected for being the one behind some heinous attacks."

Nico shrugged. "I'm used to being the odd one, Professor. I have heard some rumours among the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs about me being a dark wizard and that will keep a close eye on me; nothing I'm not used to. The Slytherins are being quiet for the most part, but I've seen their incredulous stares." He chuckled a bit. "Nothing seems to have changed in Gryffindor, or at least not for my year mates and a couple of the older students. My dorm mates and Fred and George are still trying to get me to eat diverse types of candy, I still study with Hermione and help Neville and others with their Transfiguration homework." He sighed. "Most of the younger students are confused and don't know where to stand. They don't want to believe that I'm a dark wizard, but they don't want to go against what their friends and siblings are telling them either. It is only natural, and I don't hold it against them. As I said, it isn't anything I'm not used to. But thank you for your concern, Professor."

Professor McGonagall nodded. She did not like that one of her students apparently was used to being ostracized by others, or that he was perfectly calm with the rumours going on about him. It was not normal teenage behaviour "I see. Well Mr di Angelo, I think I've said it before, but if anything is bothering you, my door is always open."

Nico nodded. "Thank you Professor. But I could understand that there was something else?"

McGonagall smiled. "You are most welcome Nico." Then she turned more serious, a frown on her face. "Yes, Mr di Angelo. What I wanted to talk to you about is not something that happened here on Hogwarts, but in Edinburgh this past Saturday: A former teacher and friend of the staff was attacked. His attackers called themselves the Hunters of Artemis and used bows and arrows." She quickly took in the slight narrowing of the boy's eyes and tensing of his body, even if it was only for a second. "Judging from your reaction, I take it you know them. They were asking about you and Hogwarts. They even went as far as to shoot him with an arrow when they captured him, but he was able to escape them, and he did not tell them your location." She looked him into eyes. "Mr di Angelo, what do you know about these Hunters of Artemis? Is there something about them we should know?"

Nico's mind was running a hundred miles an hour. If the Hunters had been in Edinburgh, chances were they had met up with the search team from Camp Half-Blood. And knowing them and their speed, and the distance Festus would be able to cover, it was only a question of when they would find Hogwarts. Forget dinner. Nico suddenly had far more pressing matters. But one look told him that he was not leaving the classroom before the teacher got some answers. He sighed.

"The Hunters of Artemis is a girl gang filled with young witches who have sworn off boys. Some of them join because of a bad experience with boys, some join because they don't feel they belong and others join because they are tempted by the offer of sisterhood, adventure and power." Nico sighed, but when he spoke, Minerva could hear the anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Make no mistake about them Professor. They follow the old ways of magical fighting like I do, and if they come, they come in numbers, thirty strong or more. I don't know exactly why they are in Britain, but they and I don't see eye to eye. Pray that they don't come here, because it might end in a fight." He sighed yet again, an unreadable look entering his eyes. "Whenever you speak with this Remus Lupin again, please tell him that he has my respect and gratitude. I know it doesn't really measure up to the favour he has done me, but please tell him that I'm willing to pay for his medical bills and whatever treatment necessary."

McGonagall had narrowed her eyes slightly during the whole explanation. Di Angelo was clearly leaving something out and not being entirely truthful about these Hunters of Artemis, but he had revealed their numbers and their motivation for joining the gang. Not to mention their fighting style, though Remus had explained that part to them. "Very well Mr di Angelo, we will keep that in mind. You may go to dinner."

Nico nodded. "Thank you Professor McGonagall."

But he definitely didn't go for dinner. He headed straight up to his forge, mulling over all of the information he had just learned. With both the Hunters and Camp Half-Blood's search party this close, he would need to hurry up with completing his weapon. Problem was that whether he chose to merge the metal piece formed like a gourd or the two small blades, the process for each would take four weeks.

The process was, in theory, simple. He would merge the plate and two blades to his bo-staff and like Jason's Ivlivs, he would have multiple weapons concealed in one. But if the magic worked the way it should, unlike with Ivlivs, Nico would be able to choose what weapon would emerge at will as the spell he was about to perform would create a link between him and the weapon, giving him complete control over it. And together with the weight reducing charms he had found, he would be able to wield the weapons with speed comparable to that of a sword. Speaking of sword: Nico walked over to the forge and picked up a classical leaf formed Greek sword that like the other pieces of metal were made purely of Stygian Iron. It was about seventy-five centimetres long and had been forged from the spare Stygian Iron when he made the other blades and the metal plate. On one side of the blade was the rune for shadow engraved and on the other was blaze.

The son of Hades examined the blade a little, then he channelled a bit of his power through it. Instantly, the blade was coated in Hellfire, the same black fire that he had used to engrave the two runes. The Black Hellfire definitely gave him a clear advantage in a fight, but he knew the sword wouldn't really be helpful against the Hunters. True, the sword had offensive power, but against the Hunters he would need defensive power as well. And considering he had never wielded a shield, one was only going to hinder him. And like Percy, he preferred fighting without armour, preferring the speed over the power and protection.

He looked over at the two smaller, slightly curved, blades that each were forty centimetres long. Like his new sword, they too could be coated in Black Hellfire and would, once the process was complete, be able to penetrate any defence. The weapon they would become a part of went well with his necromantic powers, but it offered little defensive power.

He looked at the large piece of metal. It was large enough to cover his torso and would, once complete, have a handle large enough to be wielded by both hands if necessary. And with the weight reducing charm and the link, Nico would also be able to use it with just one hand. It had sharp edges but it could not be coated with Hellfire, and yet it would be his Dark Pyrokinesis it would enhance. It had two runes engraved in it: Dark and Wind. It provided great offensive and defensive power… just what Nico needed right now.

'All those hours in the library and Ancient Runes classes are definitely paying off now.' Nico mused as he took the metal piece and bo-staff. Then he put the metal piece on the ground a smear of his blood on it, walked five metres to the right where he put down the bo-staff, also smearing some of his blood on it, before walking away till he was five metres from either pieces. 'The moment of truth I suppose: Time to see if my calculations and homemade incantation is worth anything.'

That thought firmly in mind, he drew blood from his thumbs once more and brought his hands together, palm against palm. The air shimmered and the room hummed from the sudden burst of released power as the son of Hades started chanting.

"River of Fire, I summon your blazes to me. Heat the metals and make them compatible for the merge." An explosion of fire engulfed the two pieces and a bright bridge of flames erupted from circles around the two part. Nico continued. "Spirits that has passed, spirits that are and spirits that will come to be: Work the metal gently with your magic for the two fortnights to come and bind it to me." A ghostly grey smoke enveloped the arch of fire. Nico had sweat running down his face and he could feel his shirt cling to his back, but he forged on with the last part. "River of Hate, I call upon your unbreakable will. Imbue the metal with your cold hatred by the end of the second fortnight!" A small lake of dark water exploded beneath the bridge and kept spreading until it reached where the two parts were engulfed in the roaring flames.

Nico fell to his knees, utterly exhausted. The sight before him was something to behold indeed. All he could do for the next four weeks was to wait and see if his hard work and research would bear fruit. But considering that he wasn't death and hadn't blown the room apart, Nico would say he was successful and was confident it would work. He glanced down at the sword lying beside him.

His all of his custom-made primary weapons would have one major weakness; a weakness that had him cursing his own stupidity and motivated him to make the sword: They would be unhandy while fighting in close quarters like a narrow corridor, a winding staircase or if he fought side-by-side with allies. Nico sighed as he picked up the sword and started walking towards the exit. Right before opening the door to the seventh floor, he stored his new sword in a cupboard were it would be easy for him to collect, should it be necessary. He work on ways to hide it later, but now he would catch some dinner. That thought in mind, he walked out and closed the door, trusting the Room of Requirement to keep his little secret.

00000

He smiled: He was finally ready. It was late October and after three weeks of planning, observing and searching, he was ready for his revenge. It was time to get even with di Angelo. His plan had only one weakness: If people were to butt in. But it was a risk he was willing to take if it meant humiliating Nico di Angelo in front of the entire school. And with luck, they too would be too scared to act. And speaking of the devil: There he was, walking together with the other fifth year Gryffindorks, Mudblood and blood traitor alike. He smirked. 'Time to strike back.'

"Oi, di Angelo! I want to talk with you."

Nico turned his head in surprise, but it turned to mild annoyance when he identified the speaker. "Malfoy. What do you want now? Please make it quick and then slither back to whatever hole you came from, I'm kinda hungry and would like to go to dinner."

Draco glared for a few seconds, but then controlled himself. It would simply not do to lose his composure at the petty insult. A crowd was starting to gather in the courtyard; good, more people to witness the humiliation of di Angelo.

"I want to humiliate you in public, just like you did me. Once I'm done with you, you will be a crying mess in front of everybody."

Nico cocked an eyebrow in the same kind of manner like the school's Potion Master. Was this kid for real? Hadn't he already humiliated the Malfoy heir enough? He quickly glanced around. Sure, he saw some Slytherin insignia on cloaks and shirts here and there, but none of Draco's usual cohorts. The other Gryffindor fifth year boys stood right behind him alongside Hermione, Lavender and Parvati who looked just as surprised and wary as he felt. Still, Nico had to admit, he was curious about what Malfoy was up to since he apparently didn't bring reinforcements.

"I take back what I said last time: You don't have guts, you are just stupid. Last time, Malfoy, you went on the offence with friends and got beat. This time, you are on your own and seem to think the result will change. I'm sure there is some trick behind all of this, but I will bite. Let's have a fight, Malfoy… however short it may be."

Malfoy smirked. The fight would indeed be short. As people backed away to give them room, he quickly reached into his cloak and pulled out… three matchboxes that he tossed so they were in between Nico and himself. The transfer student raised the other eyebrow, causing Malfoy's smirk to widen. Before anyone could do anything, Draco drew his wand and with a single wave, ripped off the lids of the matchboxes. The effect came instantly, but it was not what Draco had hoped for.

Instead of raging and roaring monsters with foam at their mouths, a couple of girls and a boy rose from the matchboxes. The first girl was obviously a ghost. She wore a green cap sideways on her thick black hair. She wore jeans and a silvery jacket, and her skin was olive. The girl's eyes were as dark as Nico's, and they were staring at him with contempt.

The other girl had a destroyed body, causing several people around them to scream in shock. Her arms and legs stuck out in weird angles, clearly broken in several places, and two trails of blood ran from the corners of her mouth, marring her otherwise beautiful face. Dust and blood had matted her curly golden-brown hair and her golden eyes were glaring at Nico with anger and hatred.

The last one, much to the shock of Harry, and probably everyone in the courtyard, was Nico. Though a very different Nico. Instead of wizard robes, this Nico wore a long and broad black cloak and what Harry thought was an ancient Greek cuirass. But it was the most gruesome breastplate the Boy-Who-Lived had ever seen. It was made of black leather, but instead of displaying a man torso like one saw in movies and documentaries, what appeared to be silver formed a human ribcage. He wore a couple of black military pants, combat boots and what appeared to be greaves of silver. Around his pale and muscular arms, two bracelets of gold ringed his wrist. The one on his right seemed to have the motive of a helmet engraved in it, while the one on his left had a ring of black onyx and obsidian inlaid in it that formed a word, or words, that Harry couldn't decipher.

The other Nico had long dark hair gathered in a regal style of ponytail and a wreath of highly polished bronze resembling human bones circling his brow. The wreath, or crown, had two large red rubies and one black diamond that was darker than the darkest winter night. The two rubies flanked the diamond and had a black symbol of fire in them while a glowing red infinity symbol could be seen in the diamond. But the most unsettling, in Harry's opinion, was the eyes. They weren't the usual dark orbs that could hold so many emotions and look right through you; they were blood-red and shining with madness and malice that, combined with cold and cruel smirk on his lips, made this Nico seem far more powerful, not to mention dangerous and evil, than the Nico right before him.

His thoughts were interrupted when Hermione grabbed his arm and spoke frantically. "Boggarts! Malfoy brought three Boggarts and released them all against Nico. We have to help him!"

Harry nodded and started to move forward when the girl with green cap spoke, her voice cold and unfeeling as ice. "You were never loved, Nico. Father tried to save mother and me, but not you. Mother never loved you, father never loved you. I never loved you. That is why I joined the Hunters: To be free from you. I wish you were dead. I hated you in life, but had to pretend to be the loving sister when I hated you with all of my heart. I never loved you, how could I? No one could ever love you."

Nico had gone deadly white and his eyes were wide open. "Bi-Bianca? Why… please… don't…"

The other girl spoke up, her voice hoarse, but it cut eerily easy through the silence that had fallen over the courtyard as everyone, even the ever courageous Gryffindors were listening in shock. "You broke your promise, big brother. You promised you would keep me safe. You promised that I would be safe and happy and that you would die for me." She turned into a ghost. "Instead, I died. It should have been you. You said you would die for me! It should have been you! You should have died! You should have died, not me, you! Why did you insist on trying to keep them ignorant of each other! With your powers, you could have wiped out the other Camp and we could live in peace. Instead, I die! I because you could not keep you promise!"

Nico was trembling, and Hermione and Harry were shocked to see tears running down his face as he spoke in a broken whisper. "Hazel… please… this was never meant… I'm sorry… please… forgive me… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry!"

Hermione was shaking Harry's arm quite violently. "Harry, please! Snap out of it!"

But the Boy-Who-Lived felt frozen. The red eyes of Boggart-Nico seemed to be looking right at him, directing his killing intent towards anyone who dared attempting to interfere. And when he spoke, his voice was calm, as if Boggart-Nico had no care in the world and as if he found the entire situation amusing.

"Hello Nico. Long time, no see. You heard our sisters. We were never loved, so why do you even care? Why do you think the camps fear you so and want to be rid of you for good? Because they know that you are nothing but a killer and could lay waste to them if you so desired."

Nico turned his gaze towards his mirror-self, his face contorting as it was split between grief and anger. "NO! I'm not you! I'm not… you..."

Boggart-Nico chuckled. "But you are. Look around you." He gazed lazily at the Hogwarts students who all took a step back in fright, causing him to chuckle lightly. A chuckle that only got louder when Nico looked the same way with a panicked look. "Do you really think they are your friends? Once they find out who you are and what you can really do, they will either run away as fast as their legs can carry them or they will try to kill you in your sleep… just like before. You cling on to the hope of someday being able to unite the two camps, when the only thing you are a good at is dividing them, making them your enemies instead of friends. So come… embrace me. Embrace me and unleash your full power… call upon the elite fighting force… wipe out all who are threatening you."

Nico's voice that usually was so calm and strong, was now nothing but a trembling whisper. "No… no… they won't… I won't… I'm not… stop it."

Boggart-Nico chuckled. "You can't run from your very nature. Sooner or later, you will succumb to it. Here… allow me to show you." He waved his hand in front of his face. The skin seemed to evaporate, being replaced with a skull surrounded by blue-grey flames, but the red eyes remained. Laughing over the screams, Boggart-Nico looked right at Nico, their gazes locking. "This is your true face, Nico… the face of a demon… and you know it."

"No… please… make it stop… please…"

"You were never loved… no one could ever love you."

"It's not true… please… no…"

"You broke your promise… you promised you would keep me safe…"

"Please… no… forgive me…"

"Do you really think they are your friends?"

"Stop it… no more."

"You were never loved."

The ground beneath Nico started smoking and cracking, his powers getting out of control as he was overcome with emotion.

"NICO! DON'T LISTEN TO THEM! THEY ARE ONLY BOGGARTS!"

Hermione's scream brought Harry's mind back in the game. And looking around him, he saw that the other fifth year Gryffindor boys were also coming out of their stupor. He felt ashamed and he could tell the other boys felt that way too. Their friend needed help and yet they had only stood like moping idiots. With renewed determination, he pulled out his wand, but Dean, Seamus and Ron all beat him to the fight.

Boggart-Nico and the two Boggarts imitating Nico's sisters fell silent, before changing into a huge spider, a banshee and a disembodied hand respectively. The three boys looked at the Boggarts, then each other with grim determination, then back at the Boggarts and shouted as one.

"RIDDIKULUS!"

The spider lost its legs, the banshee lost her voice and the hand got caught in a mouse trap. The three boys forced out laughter, and the three Boggarts vanished in small puffs of smoke. Everything went silent, save for Nico's heaving breath and sobs. Then he stumbled, and Harry, Neville and Hermione surged forward and caught him. The two boys gently guided him to the ground, so he was kneeling on the ground while Hermione got down in front of him. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, tears and sweat streaming down his face before he lowered it towards the ground.

Yes, Hermione was shaken about what she had just witnessed. But right now, Nico needed their help. Malfoy, that cowardly ferret, had fled the scene the moment the ground around Nico started smoking and cracking. They would deal with him later… or hopefully more accurately; the teachers would once she reported this. Nico had asked them not to file a complaint after the whole lake duel incident and they had agreed not to do so, but not this time. This time she was reporting Draco, no matter what Nico said. But right now, Nico's wellbeing was more important.

As gently as she could, she placed a hand on Nico's cheek, slightly startled by how cold his skin was, and spoke in a soothing voice. "Shh, Nico… it's alright, they are gone now… all of them. They weren't real… shh…"

Harry frowned. The air was getting colder, and fast. But at least Nico had stopped crying, though his shaking and the black fire flickering around him had yet to die down. Harry eyes widened in panic. 'Wait, black fire? No!' He moved. "Hermione, move!"

The brunette looked up, just in time to be forcefully removed by her green-eyed friend. It was not a second too late as an explosion of dark flames erupted around Nico, singing everything in a four feet radius. If Harry hadn't grabbed her and then thrown them both to the ground, she would have been toast. Looking over Harry's shoulder, she saw Nico had risen to his feet.

"ARRRRRGHGHGH!"

All traces of angst, fear, sorrow and regret had left Nico's eyes and face. His eyes had gone the same colour as the ones of Boggart-Nico and they only displayed one thing: Absolute and utter fury. His scream hadn't been a scream of anguish: It had been a scream for blood. And Hermione had feeling just whose blood he wanted: Malfoy's. Hogwarts' motto was never to tickle a sleeping dragon. The blond Slytherin Prefect had gone beyond that with his latest stunt. He had poked the dragon in the eye, rousing the beast and its anger.

"Nico…"

Her whisper was weak, and Harry wouldn't have heard if he hadn't been covering her body with his. The courtyard was filled with the cries of terrified students, Nico's screams of rage and the yells of the older student. No one wondered where the teachers were; they were too busy getting out of the way. If Harry suspected Nico for being part of the Quidditch Stadium's destruction three weeks ago, he knew for certain now. The ground was cracking, sprouting flames in a cobweb pattern away from Nico; shadows were flying to him from every corner, from every person in the courtyard, churning so fast around the boy that it was almost like a tornado. And perhaps it was just his imagination, but for just a moment, Harry could have sworn he saw skeletal hands erupt from the ground. And, just as sudden as it had started, it stopped. And Harry didn't have to look long for the reason. The other four Gryffindor boys had all drawn their wands and so had the Weasley twins, Patil twins and Lavender, and they had all fired from different directions, somehow finding a weak link in the twirling tornado of shadow and fire, knocking Nico unconscious.

Getting on his feet, Harry pulled Hermione up and together they walked towards their unconscious friend. They, the other fifth year boys, Weasley twins, Patil twins and Lavender were the only ones to approach the prone body. Kneeling down, Harry gently turned Nico onto his back. Even unconscious, his face was filled with distress. Ron swore softly.

"Bloody Malfoy… when I get my hands on him…"

Hermione cut in. "Ron, we can't just march up to Malfoy and beat him to a pulp or hex him into oblivion, no matter how much we want to. We have to tell the teachers what caused Nico to lose control like."

"If I were Malfoy, I would be far more worried about Nico getting to him compared to us or the teachers." Harry's voice was quiet, but it reached the ears of the other fifth years and two seventh years perfectly over the murmuring and whispers of the courtyard. He looked at them, his eye serious. "We can beat and hex Malfoy all we want; Madam Pomfrey and the teachers will just undo everything we have done and give us detention. The teachers will dock points, give him detention for months or even put him on suspension." He glanced down at the unconscious boy they had gathered around. "If Nico gets his hands on him… I don't think there will be as much as a greasy spot for Filch to mop away."

Lavender looked horrified. "But if Nico kills Malfoy… he will go to Azkaban…"

Seamus let out a shaky laugh. "Then I feel sorry for Azkaban. After the power Nico just displayed… I'm starting to doubt if Azkaban can hold him if he wants to leave, Dementors be damned. I don't know if the old pureblood families such as the Malfoys believe in God… but Malfoy might start praying, because I think only an otherworldly power might be able to stop Nico from slaughtering him."

Dean nodded. "Ever since Nico appeared… I knew he was more powerful than us, but I had no idea he would be this powerful. One thing is for sure… after this little show, people both inside and outside of Hogwarts will say a lot about Nico… we need to decide if we will let Nico face it alone… or if he will have his back through and through." He took a deep breath. "When we started here, Professor McGonagall said that our houses would be like our family. But way too often, we have let petty arguments and rumours drive a wedge between us." Here Dean gave Harry, Ron, Seamus and the girls some pointed glares. "Families bicker, it can't be avoided. But when push comes to shove, they stand united. What I'm trying to say… let's prove those Boggarts wrong. Let us show Nico that he is cherished and that he can unite people. Let's face it… would we be gathered like this if it wasn't for Nico?"

No one spoke as they considered what Dean had said. Then Harry nodded. "Dean is right. It is time we stood together."

Neville nodded. "Count me in."

A round of affirmatives sounded, and Padma gave them all affronted looks when they stared at her. She let out a huff and crossed her arms. "What? Is this only for Gryffindors? I want to help too, and none of you are going to stop me."

Harry smiled and let out a laugh. "Wouldn't dare to try Padma, and your help would be most welcome."

The Boy-Who-Lived looked down at his unconscious friend, wondering if Nico knew what he had caused in their little group. But he also wondered about those Boggarts. A Boggart was able to reveal one's greatest fear, no matter how deeply buried. Now Harry just wondered what other sorts of secrets Nico harboured. In the end it didn't matter. He wouldn't let his friends face his nightmares and fiends alone.

00000

"When I get my hands on that son of a gorgon… should have killed him at the lake... Cerberus could use a new chew toy…"

Nico di Angelo was absolutely livid. It was three thirty in the night, or morning, of the 1st of November, and the only thing currently stopping him from abandoning the dying fire in the Gryffindor Common Room and tearing the castle apart in a search for Draco Malfoy was the half bottle of Firewhiskey on the table on his right and the Firewhiskey already coursing through his bloodstream.

Drinking strong alcohol within the castle would probably get him expelled, but murdering Draco Malfoy definitely would. Nico took another long swig. He knew that taking to the bottle wasn't the right way to do things, but at the moment he didn't care. He stared into the dying embers, face sullen. He had never lost control like that… never. But Malfoy had been right about one thing: He had been humiliated and reduced to a crying wreck in public. And once Hermione had convinced him they were gone, all of his fear and angst had been pushed away by anger. Anger so intense that nothing else existed, causing him to completely lose control. If one of them hadn't been able to penetrate the raging of his out of control powers, who knows what could have happened. He took another swig. There would consequences of this afternoon's events, he knew, but what the consequences would be was yet unknown to him. Expulsion, in all likelihood.

But the students of the school were already shunning him. He had taken one trip to the Great Hall to get something to eat, but he ended up leaving the hall without eating a bite as students of all ages kept staring at him with fear and repulsion. The son of Hades almost hurled the bottle away. All the hopes of a place where he could start afresh, where he could belong and would be welcomed: Gone. Gone, because of some brat who couldn't take losing a fight. He cursed under his breath. If he was expelled, he was taking Malfoy with him. There would be nowhere Malfoy could hide. Even if he got under the protection of the King of the Gods, Nico would get him.

"Nico?"

He turned his head slightly, not even bothering to hide the bottle of Firewhiskey. "Hermione? What are you doing up so late? Come to stop me from walking out and killing Malfoy?" He chuckled. Like she could if he really wanted to go. "Please Hermione; I'm drunk, not stupid."

Hermione adjusted her nightgown. "Partly." The she sighed. "More importantly, I came because I'm worried about you." She glanced at the bottle and took out her wand from her nightgown's pocket. "You shouldn't drink that."

Nico snorted. "Why do you care what I drink and where?" He glanced at the wand, then at Hermione. "So… it is you are going to turn me in for drinking."

Hermione frowned and pointed her wand, murmuring something he didn't catch. But he heard when she spoke again. "No, I'm not. And I care because I'm your friend, Nico, and I don't want to see you accused of something you didn't do."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Something I didn't do?" He glanced behind him, and to his surprise, the Firewhiskey was gone. "Where…" he turned to look at Hermione pocketing her wand. "Where did it go?"

Hermione shrugged and pocketed her wand. "Somewhere no one would ever suspect: My trunk."

Nico gave Hermione a long look, which she returned evenly, before giving a wry smile. "You are full of surprises, Miss Prefect." Then he let out a sigh. "Sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry."

Hermione let out a sigh, a sad smile gracing her lips. "Don't worry about it. You were, and still are, upset… and for a good reason. Just, don't try and make it a habit of snapping at people who are on your side, okay? Harry doing it can be bad enough when we are just trying to help. Now, scoot over so I can sit down."

Nico gave her a weird look before making room on the couch. Once Hermione had gotten herself comfortable, he spoke what was on his mind. "Is this another way of trying to prevent me from going after Malfoy?"

Hermione smiled, but it held no mirth. "No, not really. But I'm hoping my company will be enough to tell you that there are people at Hogwarts who care about you, despite what happened with those Boggarts."

Nico frowned, distrust evident on his face. "This smells an awful lot like one of yours, Harry and Ron's attempts at fishing for clues."

Hermione turned to look at him, a tired look on her face. "If the situation had been different, and had this been in the beginning of term, then maybe this would have been a last ditch effort on our part." Then her still slightly sleepy brain processed what Nico had said and she gave him a look that was mix of embarrassment and incredulity. "Wait, you knew all along that we were… why didn't you say anything, called us out on it? Aren't you mad at us?"

Nico chuckled and smiled a little, the first genuine smile he had managed since the Boggarts. "No, not really. You three trying to figure me out are the most natural thing to do considering how I arrived. I would be far more concerned for you if hadn't tried. As to why I didn't call you out sooner: I was having too much fun. You are all lousy at hiding your disappointment when I foiled your fishing for clues. But it was fun as long it lasted." His face fell and he looked down. When he spoke, his voice was sad, questioning. "After what happened today with the Boggarts… why are you here, alone at that? Aren't you afraid that I will hurt, like the rest of the school?"

The brunette swept a lock of her curling hair behind her ear, giving Nico a look. She knew, just by looking into his eyes that he needed to hear the truth. Moreover, she had the feeling that he would see right through her if she tried to lie. She let out a sigh and met his gaze.

"In all honesty Nico, a part of me is terrified. For a boy our age, you wield more power than I can fathom to be possible. It is unnatural that a fifteen-year-old boy can be as powerful as you are." She hesitated, looking him right into the eyes. "A greater part of me worries about my friend. That part of me wants to protect him and wants to help him, even with his greatest fears. Nico… what those Boggarts showed you… it wasn't real. It wasn't your sisters saying those dreadful things… and that thing… that monster… it wasn't you."

Nico took a steadying breath. She hadn't tried to lie to him, something he was grateful for. Her voice and her eyes carried sincerity: She wanted to help. But she was wrong about something.

"The problem is, Hermione… they are real. They are real in my mind and in my heart. Those were my three worst fears, all brought to life.

Hermione nodded. "I know. But they were only Boggarts; they assume your worst fear and use it against you." She hesitated. "Nico… your sisters… are they really…" Nico's face darkened and she hesitated for a few seconds before whispering, knowing that he would hear her regardless. "Sorry. I will understand if you don't want to talk about it."

Nico stared at her, then his face softened and he let out a sigh. Had the circumstances been any different, he wouldn't have said a word. Either that, or he would have told her to back off and mind her own business. As it was, the alcohol was loosening his tongue and after their little chat just now, he trusted Hermione. But he couldn't quite face her, opting to look into the fireplace instead.

"Bianca… the one with the green cap… she died five years ago. She joined a girl gang called the Hunters of Artemis. When their leader got captured by… a rival… my sister joined a team that set out to save their leader, but got killed in a freak accident. The leader they set out to save honoured another of those who died, but never mentioned my elder sister Bianca again in any way." He took a steadying breath. "The other girl… Hazel… is my little half-sister by a year… we have the same father. She got attacked some time ago… and is, as far as I know… in coma now. I don't know whether she will recover or not."

Hermione was horrified. Bianca had seemed no older than twelve, and she had joined a girl gang and got killed when they tried to save the gang's leader? And Hazel, a fourteen-year-old, had been attacked and was now in coma? She was almost afraid to ask. "And… the other… you?"

Nico closed his eyes, pondering his answer. Once he had it, he spoke. "Simple put: It was how I fear I will become if I allow my powers to corrupt me. My powers are of what people call the Dark Arts, and some of them border on evil, I will admit. But even what people call for Light spells can be used for evil. Regardless, I fear that someday, my powers will corrupt me like they did some of my other family." He opened his eyes and met her gaze. "People fear me because of my family and power, Hermione. And after what people witnessed today, I can't say I blame them. Dumbledore might have restored the courtyard, but what they saw will forever be etched into their memory."

Hermione lowered her gaze for a few seconds, the met his eyes. "Nico, I can't say I understand everything going on in your life and how you feel about what happened today, so I won't. You are right, people will remember what happened." She placed a hand on his cheek, once again wondering how his skin could be so cold, but she pushed the thought away. It didn't matter. "Not all will, but some will also remember the kindness you have shown them. Nico… you still have friends who care about you here at Hogwarts. You might not believe it now, but in time, you will see. According to Harry, you said something like this to Ollivander, and now it is time for you to remember it as well: One's powers do not define who you… your choices do." She hesitated for moment, then repeated what she just said, her voice, if possible, even softer than before. "People will remember your kindness. And you have people at Hogwarts who care about you... who cherish you for who you are as a person. If you don't believe my words… then believe this."

Before Nico could say or do anything, Hermione leaned in and kissed him on the lips. It was sweet and chaste and short, but he didn't protest and kissed her back. Neither did he protest when Hermione summoned a blanket and covered them both with it on the couch, snuggling up to him. Hesitant at first, he put his left arm around her and, much to his surprise, he let out a sigh of contentment at the same time as Hermione. Looking at her, he was briefly slightly to see she had already fallen asleep. Either that, or Hermione could play possum even better than he could. At this point, it wouldn't surprise him. The son of Hades made himself more comfortable. This was definitely better than Firewhiskey, he decided. Malfoy could relax; he was not taking his revenge this night.

Nico closed his eyes, sleep slowly taking hold of him. He didn't know how long his relationship, if that was what he now had with Hermione, would last, nor did he care.

At the moment, he was content and would enjoy that for once in his rotten life, things were looking up for him. For with luck as rotten as his, there was no telling how long his newfound peace would last.

End chapter 10.

**AN2/2: Whew. Took longer than I initially thought. The fantastic weather outside doesn't help my writing, that is for sure. Though, it can be too hot to be outdoors at times.**

**Never mind. Time to answer a few questions that might arise.**

**No, I did not forget about the whole Parseltongue thing. That is another reason I took so long: Because I didn't know how to proceed from there. So I decided to deal with it later and proceed as I originally planned. The DA-scene turned out to be longer than I thought, and I absolutely refused to cut down on the Boggart-scene as that scene is one of the scenes that kick-started my ideas for this fic to begin with, and is one of the scenes that I've been looking forward to write the most. Same goes for the last scene, which is why the scene dealing with the trio's reaction to Nico being a Parseltongue and another scene didn't make it this time around.**

**Speaking of the Boggart-scene: I would like to say a big public thank-you to Ace1412. I was lost on Boggart/Dark Nico's design, but he contributed greatly to it with some of his ideas. **

**To those of you who don't like me pairing Nico with Hermione for this fic: Tough. I will either ignore possible flames, or use them for marshmallows and twistbread. But it will only be 4-5 months (story time) and won't become the focus point, if that can be any consolation.**

**My reasons for the other pairings were as follow: **

**NicoxParvati and NicoxPadma: I think they are hot, and the pairing would be completely new (I think)**

**The same pretty much goes for NicoxCho. Plus, I might have used it to cause some friction between Harry and Nico. **

**The reason I didn't consider NicoxLuna: It has been done many times before, but more importantly, Luna is one character I simply can't relate to. I can't get into her line of thinking, thus making it impossible for me to write her. **

**But as an extra treat, before the anonymous reviews, here is a little teaser or rather lines, for the next chapter, though wording might become a bit different when I actually start writing it. **

00000

"Wait… are you telling me that you know where Hogwarts are? And you didn't tell us?"

"Correction: I knew of Hogwarts existence, not its location. I'm an American witch."

00000

"You want to throw a mere boy into a prison filled with the worst criminals our country has ever seen, for simply losing control of his magic because he was upset?!"

"Be that as it may, but I cannot ignore the rumours! The rumours are that he is a necromancer for Merlin's sake!"

"A rumour that was started by frightened children that may or may not have seen evidence of it. Speaking of necromancy: Have the Unspeakables found out what exactly happened with the Veil in the Death Chamber a week ago?"

00000

"Who are you girls? Put down those bows before someone gets hurt, will yer?"

"No one will get hurt if they just cooperate. We are the Hunters of Artemis and we have come to collect my cousin. Where is Nico di Angelo?"

00000

**That is all you get for now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Time to answer the anonymous reviews.**

Iwazhere 7/16/13 . chapter 9

Omg I love this! Write more! Please dont make a Hermione and Nico pairing! When will you do another Percy P.O.V? Willl Nevill find out about demigods? Will any other wizards find out?! I need to know!

**Response: Well, it became NicoxHermione. As for when I will make another Percy P.O.V… well, Percy's team should arrive in chapter 15 if my estimation is correct. But there probably will be an update on their progress in next chapter.**

MyNameIsHiding 7/15/13 . chapter 9

Love your story. One of the best I have read so far (and I've read lots). I especially like your conflict between Nico and the camps. I'm excitedly awaiting the next chapter.

**Response: Thank you **** I'm glad you like my new take on the camp conflict and I hope this chapter met your expectations. **

kuroneko 6/25/13 . chapter 9

I love the story, you are an amazing writer, I think you managed to write one of the very few good crossovers for this two series, love it and can't wait to get more so plz update soon

**Response: Thank you for the praise**** Well, in my opinion there are many good HPxPJO crossovers out there, but I'm glad you like it. Personally I can recommend mystiquewitch's series. Hope this chapter was a good read for you. **

Omega 6/23/13 . chapter 9

You are such a talented writer!I can't wait for this AWESOME story to get published ! You hav a really good way with word, you will become AMAZING writer one day...until please keep updating while ypu can.

Suggestion:

What if Percy & HOA try to get Nico at the same time and Nico attacks them in front of the students & then Jason and co. come and break it up, just so Nico doesn't kill his sister?

**Response: Thank you. It means a lot to me that you think I will become an amazing writer someday, as I've dreams of becoming an author one day. **

**Now as for your suggestion: Good suggestions are always welcome, but I already have their arrival planned out… more or less anyways. Hope you enjoyed the read. **

Guest 6/18/13 . chapter 9

Frickin' Amazing!

**Response: Thank you **

Bella 6/11/13 . chapter 9

Love it

**Response: Glad to hear that. **** Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. **

Nico is the hero 5/28/13 . chapter 9

Hi! I just wanted to say that I love your story! It's really really really amazing! I just have one request;

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T MAKE NICO GO WITH AN OC! IT ALWAYS ANNOYS ME WHEN THAT HAPPENS! I'm serious! sometimes when someone puts Nico with an OC I usually stop reading it. So hear me out, I'M BEGGING YOU NOT TO! Anyway I just love your story! It's just absolutely AMAZING! By the way, do you have a certain time/day/week you update? It would be REALLY be helpful if you could make a specific time, because I look to see if you update 3 times a day. LITERALLY. well, thanks, bye! keep on writing! PLEASE DON'T EVER GIVE UP ON WRITING YOUR STORY! I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE DO THAT! bye!

**Response: Thank you for the compliments. **** And your request was granted, I didn't pair Nico with an OC. Believe me, I'm no fan of OCs. I'm already having a small headache with those I have in this story, and it will probably only get worse as time goes by, but they are necessary for the plot. **

**No, I don't have a specific day or time I update. Trust me, I've considered it. Problem is, it would only stress me, causing my own satisfaction and joy with writing a chapter to go decrease… not to mention my chapters would get sloppier. Another reason is that my life probably will get more hectic in a few months. Also, chances are that I would forget to post a chapter if I finished it before the deadline. It has happened before you know. **

**3 times a day? I'm honored. Have you considered getting an account and putting the story on your alert/follow list. Getting an account is free and if you put the story on alert/follow you will get a notification that the story has been updated in your inbox. **

**And don't worry: This story is one I won't quit. **

**Yours, **

**Lightningscar. **

Trivia101 5/28/13 . chapter 9

This is amazing! Update soon!

**Response: Thank you for the reviews (assuming you are behind them both) **** But I don't know when I will update again.**

geust 5/27/13 . chapter 9

out of all the harry potterpercy jackson crossovers that i have read i would have to say that yours is the best. mainly because you build up tension and you describe thing a hell of a lot better than anyone else. And its also good to find a change where its nico who is the powerful one instead of Percy i just wanted to say don't give up cause this story is the best crossover yet.

**Response: Thank you for the praise and compliments. **** I'm glad to hear I'm doing something right. Well, at this point of time, Percy is probably still stronger than Nico. But as Percy hinted at in chapter 1 (I think) they might soon be equals. **

Random Person 5/22/13 . chapter 9

*le hyperventilates*

Oh my Freakin' gods!

I can't breathe. I can't breathe!

Another New Awesome Chapter! and the plot also thickens..

Percy and the others are soooooo close at finding Nico in hogwarts.

Remus Lupin has encountered the hunters.

Nico told Jason that his sister is alive and making him have that situation.

And most of all. Sybill Trelawney has annouced a prophecy! It's like having a cliffhanger at the end of chapters but ten times worst! That prophecy just gave me a headache... What does that mean!

Its awesome. Just. AWESOME!

' . .

*le hyperventilates again*

**Response: Easy there! No need to hyperventilate. Yep, the plot is slowly thickening and Percy and the others are slowly, but surely, getting closer at finding Nico and Hogwarts. And I'm glad you like my prophecy. I won't tell you what it means though, you will have to keep reading to find out. Sorry about giving you a headache because of the plot though and making you hyperventilate. *hands over a plastic bag.* **

Supergreekgeek 5/22/13 . chapter 9

Aaaaahhhhh! You have to totally update soon! And please hurry up and get Percy to the stinkin castle! I really want Percy to have no clue and come barging in with all his powers! Ha! Just imagin the looks on everybody's faces! No actually do a sneak attack where they get caught! Then they use their powers.! Oh just please update! And don't you dare go making Neco the bad guy!

**Response: Sorry, but I don't know when I will update again, so I hope this was enough for now. As for Percy getting to Hogwarts and his entrance there: All in good time. But it shouldn't be more than 5 chapters before his team arrives.**

**And whoa, hold your horses. Nico the bad guy? Where did that come from? He is kinda the victim here.**

Ms. Di Angelo 5/22/13 . chapter 9

Oh my gods! So, Neville does recognize Jason(Right?). I want to know what the discussion was back at the hogs head (That's what it's called, right?). How do the others react to Jason's appearence? Will Neville tell Harry, Ron, and Hermione what happened!? AHHHHHH! So many question, so little time. I like that little part with Lupin though! So sorry if there are spelling mistakes here! I'm not what hey call 'good at spelling'. But one more thing;

I LOVE YOUR STORY! One of the best 'Nico Di Angelo goes to Hogwarts' fanfiction ever! I mean it! The others are to short or Harry, Ron, or Hermione find out about demigods to quickly. Can you please update faster! I mean, it took you a month to update last time! I mean no offence to that, though. You have true master pieces! Ok, I know I said the other thing was the last thing, but this is truly the last thing;

Why do you call them HUNTERS of Artemis? Shouldn't they be called the HUNTRESSES of Artemis? I'm not questioning your works of art, but sometimes, it just annoys me. So sorry for the SERIOUSLY long comment. That probably annoys you so much. I'll stop talking now. Or typing. Typing...talking...whatever. Ok...shutting...up...now.

**Response: Yep, Neville recognized Jason and I hoped the beginning of this chapter answered your question regarding the discussion back at Hog's Head. And no, Neville won't tell them… besides, after this chapter, they might be able to figure out what went down that night. **

**Glad you enjoyed the part with Lupin. And don't worry about spelling mistakes… I make them as well. No one is perfect. **

**I'm happy to hear you think so highly of my story here and want more updates, but I'm afraid I'm one of the sporadic updaters. And it probably won't get better from now on. Have you considered getting an account? That way you can get notifications whenever a story you like is being updated. **

**Oh, and about why I call them Hunters of Artemis: Well, because Rick Riordan does. You will have to ask him.**

**And no, long reviews don't annoy me. They are the best **** Especially if they cover what the reviewer liked/disliked. **

**Yours,**

**Lightningscar. **

Guest 5/22/13 . chapter 9

could you summarize what has happened so far becuz i am seriously confused

**Response: I tried summarizing the major events up till now. But it is not something I will do for every chapter. Hope it helped. **


	11. Chapter 11

**AN1/2: Wow. Over 300 reviews. I never dared hope it would become this popular when I first started it. Thank-you to all who have reviewed, put me and the story on follow and favourite lists. **

**There is a rather long AN after the chapter that you might want to read as it explains a few things, but other than that, I only got one thing to say: Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the next chapter of 'Dark Phoenix' **

Chapter 11: Clues for Reasons and Battle.

Annabeth sighed. A few days ago, they had landed near Edinburgh to meet up with Thalia and the Hunters. And the landing proved to be a smart move as Festus had shut down the moment he landed. And Leo didn't have to look long for the cause: Salt in his gears and wires near the control disk that Leo and Tyson hadn't seen in London. It would slow down their search and travel speed tremendously. So they had been stuck with two options: Wait for Leo to clean the gears and wires or split into two groups. None of the options appealed to them as it would mean less time searching for Nico contra loss of overall battle power. In the end, Tyson had volunteered to stay behind and fix Festus. And Annabeth had to admit it was ideal if they absolutely had to split up. Tyson had the mechanical experience for the job and with his exceptional hearing, sensitive nose and super strength, he would be tough for possible enemies to sneak up on and overwhelm.

They had met up with Thalia and the Hunters in Edinburgh, where they had agreed on the Hunters moving north while they would search towards west. The daughter of Athena ran a hand through her hair, wondering how things could have gone so wrong.

The goddess had approached her with a mission that was to be kept secret, even from Chiron. It was a mission that would bring together the seven of the next Great Prophecy, ensuring their victory when a new war came. When Annabeth had asked why Chiron shouldn't know about the quest or mission, the goddess had answered that there was a spy among the camp's top, just like when Luke had Silena Beauregard spy on Camp during the Titan War. She feared that if Annabeth told Chiron about the spy, the spy would know they were on to him and do everything in his power to keep the seven apart as he had done so far. So while Annabeth was on her mission, another team, handpicked by an associate of the goddess, would take care of the spy at Camp.

Her mission was simple: Sneak in and convince the leaders of the other faction to come to Camp Half-Blood. They would be able to point out the spy, seeing how the spy was spying on them as well. She and her team had to sneak in seeing how the other faction, who hadn't had contact with them for centuries, wasn't the most hospitable. And if the Augur was to get news of them approaching before they could get to the leaders, their quest to make peace between the two former rivals would become near impossible.

The daughter of Athena let out a bitter laugh. Instead of peace, they were now on the verge of war with the rivals, the Roman demigods; the children of another aspect of the gods. Annabeth had figured out they were Romans when one of the Stolls had described one of the gold-weapon wielding warriors exit a shop wearing what matched the description of old Roman battle armour. Moreover, thinking back on their fight with that girl, she was sure the girl had used some of the Roman gods' names during the fight. That girl was still a mystery to her. It was not often the daughter of Athena had come across demigods with that much power. As the matter of fact, the only ones she could mention would be Percy, Nico and perhaps Leo.

Annabeth's eyes went wide. 'That girl… was a Roman demigod… I wonder… if she could have been one of the leaders. But that means… oh no! We are preparing for war because I failed my mission! I have to tell Percy and Chiron about…' her line of thought was interrupted by another. 'But telling Chiron would mean the spy at Camp would get to know about the mission and it would endanger my brothers that went with me that night. And Percy has more than enough to think about with Nico missing… I think he is the one who misses Nico the most. Hopefully, when we get Nico back, he can help us figure out who… the spy… is…'

A horrible thought dawned in her mind. What if Nico was the, double agent? But no, that couldn't be true. He had put his life on the line more times than most demigods had since the Titan War. And yet, a little nagging voice in her mind told her that maybe the only reason he survived those solo quests was because the enemy was ordered to let him go as part of some greater scheme. But that couldn't be, could it? But Nico had looked troubled the last time he came to camp so maybe… no, she couldn't afford to think like that.

Annabeth sighed. There was definitely something going on here. The mission hadn't seemed right to her to, especially considering the wording of the goddess: I don't like to admit it, but you are the best one suited for the mission.

The daughter of Athena closed her eyes, trying to think. It was starting to look like set-up, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what the goddess would gain by messing up a quest she had ordered.

Her thoughts wandered again. Grover, being the only one able to read fluently, had skimmed through every Daily Prophet they could find. Funny thing was that it apparently wasn't a regular newspaper. Whenever they found just a piece of it, it was pure luck, but none of the pieces helped them in finding Hogwarts. But there was some disturbing rumours going on, at least after what Grover told them. Apparently one of the students of Hogwarts, a boy named Harry Potter, claimed some Dark Lord was back, but the Ministry assured the public that it was nothing but a rumour from a boy seeking attention because he could not get enough of his fame, and the aged headmaster of the school seeking to upset the public.

Keeping Nico in a school was strange enough, but it also made sense in a sick and twisted way. Nico was very powerful and if one could brainwash him, they would gain a terrible ally, or perhaps in better words, a powerful puppet and weapon.

Those thoughts followed her to sleep together with all the rest as she drifted off, waiting for the boys to come back from their search for firewood.

00000

The mood was tense in the camp of the Hunters of Artemis. They were camped out in forest near Dufftown, still recovering from their encounter with Lupin in Edinburgh. Erica and Thalia had had a huge argument about how Erica had just attacked Lupin. Thalia told her that she just couldn't attack people like that, even if she was correct about them being monsters. Erica had replied by telling Thalia to back off and that she didn't have to explain anything. That was also why they were arguing now. But if Thalia was angry when this row began, it was nothing compared to the anger she felt rise when Erica spoke next.

"Thalia, you should be far more concerned about the castle we are to storm. It will be well defended, even if it is school. The easiest way in will be through a forest called the Dark Forest. So leave me alone already."

Thalia went rigid and her eyes narrowed in disbelief, and a smell of ozone filled the air as her anger rose. "Wait… are you telling me that you knew where Hogwarts are? And you didn't tell us?! Why?"

Erica returned the glare. "Correction: I knew of Hogwarts existence before that newspaper, not its location. I'm an American witch."

Thalia blinked, cocking an eyebrow. "A witch… as in abracadabra type of witch, or are you talking about your attitude? And if you knew about Hogwarts, why didn't you say anything? Or better yet, what do you know about it?"

Erica's glare intensified a bit before she pulled out a piece of wood, nine inches long, from her sleeve. She quickly pointed it at a boulder. "Reducto!" Thalia watched in slight shock as the stick fired off a jet off light and reduced the boulder to pebbles and ashes. "I'm that kind of witch. And at Hogwarts, they learn the same kind of stuff and much more. As for how I know about Hogwarts… it was thought to us when I studied at Salem Sorcery Institute in Massachusetts. Hogwarts is the oldest school for wizards and witches, like me, in Europe. It was founded by Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw in a time where old pureblood families fought for land and riches. As wizards and witches travelled across the globe, new schools for magic were formed. Hogwarts is, like many other schools for wizardry, Unplottable. The degree of unplottability varies, but they all got that in common that you can't pinpoint them on a map. And that is about what I know about Hogwarts."

Thalia narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "That doesn't explain why you didn't tell us about this as soon we learned about this Hogwarts. You could have saved us precious time! So why didn't you tell us?"

The other Hunter turned her gaze for a moment before returning her lieutenant's stare. "Because I was trying to forget… forget about my past life, and everything in it. And I doing was pretty well until now." She sighed. "I was born in 1965 in Oregon. I was accepted into Salem Sorcery Institute in 1971. In 1980 I started dating a guy named Thomas Greyson. He was smart, funny, caring, and sweet. He was the perfect guy." She laughed bitterly. "Except for two things: He was only after my body, and he was a werewolf. One evening, after refusing him yet again, he tried forcing himself upon me. I fought him off, but that night was also the full moon. He transformed and would have killed me if not for Lady Artemis showing up. I joined up with the Hunters and tried forgetting my life until that point. I found a companion in Zoe Nightshade, her dislike for men being comparable to my own."

Thalia's eyes had widened as she heard the tale and she felt sorry for her, she truly did, but there was still something that didn't add up. "Then how come I never seen you before you joined up with us?"

Erica signed. "A leave of absence. My mother died a year before you joined, and Zoe's death hit me hard. As I said, I have tried forgetting my past… but I will never forget what a werewolf looks like when that close to the full moon, even in human form. And no matter how civil they act and no matter the form, even if they don't look like Lycaon and his minions, they are all the same: Vicious beasts that should be brought down."

The daughter of Zeus frowned. "I see. Then maybe you can answer me this: How come the demigods have never heard of the wizard world before?"

Erica shrugged as she stood. "According to Lady Artemis, the gods swore to leave the wizard world alone. But Lady Artemis has always followed her own rules, and she doesn't distinguish between heritage: As long as you are girl and pure, you can join. And just like demigods have the Mist, wizards and witches have their own ways of staying concealed from Muggles, mortals without magic. In a way, their concealments are even better than the ones of demigods, as they can be very specific in what they want concealed and to whom. The wizard world has its own monsters and creatures, so we can't lower our guard if we are serious about saving the son of Hades."

With that she walked away, leaving Thalia to her thoughts that was reeling from all the information she had been given.

00000

It had been a few days after the Boggart incident and things had somewhat settled down. However, even if Dumbledore had managed to repair the damaged courtyard with ease, Nico could still see the fear in the eyes of the students. But Hermione had been right, as he had discovered that very morning. A lot of people treated him just the same, without fear. All of the Gryffindor fifth years, Padma Patil, the Terror, eh, Weasley twins, and Creevey brothers

He had asked them if they weren't afraid of him, but they had just shrugged and said they had seen worse. Something Nico really doubted, but he didn't push it. Besides, they had pretty much proved it by sitting down and eating breakfast with him, after getting to their feet when Crabbe and Goyle had approached, cracking their knuckles and asking them if they really wanted to fight the whole lot of them.

Now all of them were gathered in Gryffindor Common Room, chattering idly. Nico sat on the floor, resting against Hermione's legs, enjoying her massaging his sore shoulders. Though, the conversation going on around him suddenly became a bit entertaining as Lavender leaned closer to Hermione.

"Hermione, how come that every time a new or foreign guy with good looks comes to Hogwarts, he always falls for you? I'm getting a bit jealous you know."

Parvati smirked and let out a chuckle as Hermione blushed a very nice pink. "A bit? Can you say very jealous? Though, when compared to some of the other girls, you got nothing when it comes to jealousy. I heard some fourth and third years talking about how Hermione probably drugged him."

Nico laughed. "Nah, no one drugs me but me." He looked up Hermione. "Your turn Hermione." Hermione stopped massaging his shoulder as Nico stood before switching places. A few minutes went by with him simply massaging his girl's shoulders, the others chattering among themselves. A couple of more minutes and Nico asked out of the blue.

"Harry, are you gay?"

The Boy-Who-Lived started spluttering and went as red as the Weasleys' hair as the redheads, Lee, Dean and Seamus started roaring with laughter after a few seconds of silence. All of the girls laughed as well, though Hermione had the decency to give him apologetic looks between her giggles. Getting his blush under control, and making sure his voice came out right, he scowled at the transfer student.

"No, I'm not gay."

Nico nodded. "Fair enough. I was simply asking because you kept staring at me."

The Weasleys, Dean and Seamus all made suggestive winks at Harry, causing him to scowl. The girls giggled, but they at least tried to keep it in. "I was not staring at you. I was looking at Hermione."

The son of Hades narrowed his eyes as his hands stilled. "You were checking out my girlfriend? Dude, not cool. Where I'm from, looking at another guy's girl usually ends with the offender getting a punch in the face. You wanna fight, Harry, cause I'm all game."

Harry went pale. "No-no-no, no! That was not what I was doing! I wasn't checking out Hermione! I…" Harry trailed off as he saw the smirk pulling at Nico's lips and even Hermione was looking at him with amusement evident on her face. Realizing that Nico was messing with him, he crossed his arms and let out a huff. "Right now, I sort of hate you Nico, you know that?"

Nico chuckled, a full-blown on his smirk. "I know. But I was having too much fun messing with you to care. Besides, you should have seen your face. You looked like a little boy being caught doing something naughty."

George howled with laughter. "He kinda was, wasn't he? He was checking out a couple and wanted in on the fun"

Harry blushed again, though not that much this time, before crossing his arms and pouting. "What is this, pick-on-Harry-day?"

Fred joined in on the fun. "Harrykins, it is always picking-on-Harry-day."

The Boy-Who-Lived scowled and was about to retort, but thought better of it as he had this feeling that if he opened his mouth, either Nico or the twins would twist it around and use it to tease him further. Grumbling internally for half a minute, Harry mulled over how to broach the next subject. Deciding on just saying it, Harry spoke.

"Hey, Nico. There is something we need to talk about."

The son of Hades tensed up and their group fell absolutely silent. "If this is about what happened with those Boggarts…"

Harry shook his head. "No, it is not about that. It is about what happened at the lake when you 'duelled' against Malfoy."

Nico's eyes darkened at the mention of Malfoy. What he wouldn't give for five minutes alone with the brat. Shaking his head to focus on the conversation at hand, Nico's voice was both curious and clipped. "What about it?"

Harry frowned at the tone, but didn't find it worth berating his friend for it. Malfoy was definitely a sore spot for Nico at the moment because of the incident with the Boggarts, but they needed to talk about what happened at the lake.

"During your duel, when those snakes had you pinned, you spoke Parseltongue." A confused look. "You spoke to the serpents, right?" A nod. "Do you have any family who can also talk to snakes?"

Nico nodded, slightly perplexed. "Sure. My father. At least one of my cousins, and some of his children. Why?"

Ron leaned forward, a disbelieving look on his face. "Nico, mate, the ability of Parseltongue… the ability to speak to snakes… is something hereditary."

Nico raised his eyebrows. "So? As I just explained, I don't know how many of family can speak to snakes. I bet you that a lot of other people here can do the same."

Harry suppressed a snort. Man, he was definitely feeling a déjà vu here. As a matter of fact, Nico was sitting in the exact same armchair Harry had been placed in when Ron told him about Parseltongue and Parselmouths for the first time. And Ron didn't disappoint.

"No, Nico, you are wrong. The ability of Parseltongue is very rare. As a matter of fact, I only know of two wizards alive who possess it. And one of them is because he is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, the guy who founded Slytherin House here at Hogwarts." He took a deep breath. "That descendant is You-Know-Who, the darkest wizard of all time. And a few years ago, another Parselmouth appeared here at Hogwarts, sending it into frenzy because Slytherin's monster, which was later to be discovered to be a Basilisk, was attacking students left and right."

Nico tilted his head. He remembered McGonagall telling him about that, but he hadn't really given it much thought. But the pieces were starting to fall into place. It would definitely explain why people had seemed, not terrified, but scared of him after the episode at the lake and the rumours going on.

And now that he thought about it, it was very few demigods who could talk to snakes as well. Him, the Stoll brothers, Frank Zhang and a few daughters of Hermes. He suspected some of the children of Ares and Demeter could as well, but he had nothing to support his suspicions. However, Frank could only speak to them when he himself was a snake and it was so-so with the Stolls and their half-sisters as they only seemed to be able to talk with Martha, George and the occasional grass snake and viper. The largest snake the Stolls had talked to, according to themselves, was a boa constrictor when they were in Brazil with their mother on holiday.

The son of Hades looked at the faces of his Gryffindor friends. Most gave him expectant looks, but Harry. The dark-haired youth seemed rather impassive to the whole business. But his eyes gave him away. His eyes couldn't hide his curiosity and weariness, leading Nico to believe he wanting to hear more about Nico's family, but didn't want to dwell on the topic of Parseltongue. A suspicion started to form in the mind of the son of Hades.

"You said a Parselmouth appeared at Hogwarts a few years ago? Who was it?"

Harry sighed. "Me. And believe me, discovering having something in common with Voldemort was not pleasant. Especially since a lot of people turned against you, believing you to be a Dark Wizard on the rise"

Nico stared for a moment before lowering his gaze to the girl resting against his legs. She gave him an encouraging smile. "And after everything I did losing control, you are not afraid of me or suspicious?"

Ron looked at the other and receiving a nod in return, he spoke "I think I speak for more or less all of us here when I say this: I was surprised, shocked and freaked out. And when I revealed yourself to be a Parselmouth I must admit, I was quite suspicious about your parentage, and had a suspicion about you being a Dark Wizard. But then I thought about it and realized that we would be some damn hypocrites if we just turned our backs on you because you used some powers that are usually associated with the Dark Arts." A small smirk appeared on his face. "After all, we are still friends with Harry here, aren't we?"

Ron was rewarded with a shoe to the face from Harry and laughter from the others. The son of Hades just smiled. Ron was sincere in his words, but he could still see the jealousy in the other boy's eyes. It was a shadow, but it was there. He did not approve of him being together with Hermione, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He chuckled to himself. When the Gryffindors first saw Nico and Hermione holding hands, both Harry and Ron lost the ability to talk for several minutes. Dean, Seamus, the Weasley twins had all wolf-whistled and catcalled after them while some of the girls had given Hermione envious looks. Neville had just shrugged.

Nico cracked a small smile as he looked at the others. The idea of him being the son of Dark Lord, as Ron had insinuated wasn't completely off the mark. They just got the wrong lord. Though the fact that he was related to this Dark Lord Voldemort fellow through his ancient half-brother, if his analysis of the information the Sorting Hat and the ghosts were correct, wasn't that much fun, he could appreciate Ron's deductive mind and the irony of him being right and wrong at the same time. Pushing the thoughts aside, asked the others.

"And the rest of you? Do you feel the same way?" The others nodded and his smile widened, realizing one more time that Hermione had been right the other night. "Thank you."

They all smiled and waved away his gratitude, saying it wasn't worth mentioning. The group fell into idle and relaxed chatter again until Nico spoke when he felt someone staring at him.

"Ron, are you gay? Or are you just staring at my girlfriend as well?"

00000

"I want him removed from the school, Dumbledore! He is a threat to every student here!"

Dumbledore sighed softly, annoyance giving him a minor headache. For the last past hour, he had been locked in a debate with Cornelius Fudge about whether or not Nico should remain at Hogwarts. Even after seeing the devastation he had wrought when he lost control a few days ago and being far more powerful than even Dumbledore imagined, and despite now being their primary suspect for the destruction of the Quidditch Pitch, Dumbledore was not going to let the Ministry have their way regarding Nico. Not just for Nico's safety, as Severus had some disturbing reports that they needed to discuss once Cornelius and Dolores left, but Dumbledore also feared that if Hogwarts abandoned Nico now, he might very well become a new Dark Lord.

"Cornelius, we cannot remove Nico di Angelo by force if he does not want to leave. I offered him a deal: Become a student at Hogwarts with everything that it entails and get immunity for a year. It is rules so old that not an eventual new Headmaster, Headmistress, or the Ministry can change them and revoke the deal. And seeing how he hasn't broken any of our rules that would be severe enough for expulsion, there is little we can do if we wanted him removed from the school. And I, for one, don't want him removed."

Fudge glared. "I do not care what you want, Dumbledore! He is a threat to the other students, as seen a few days ago! Draco Malfoy is currently at home, fearing for his life. He is afraid that di Angelo will kill him the first chance he gets! Lucius and several of the pureblood families are pushing for di Angelo being removed from Hogwarts grounds. And from the reports I have gotten, I can understand why. For Merlin's sake Dumbledore, di Angelo is a Parselmouth and has already threatened several students with some of the deadliest snakes known!"

McGonagall's nostrils flared and her voice got a dangerous edge to it. "Mr Malfoy wouldn't be home, under the pretext of his mother being ill to save face, if not for his poor attitude. We have several eyewitnesses that all say the same thing: Young Malfoy instigated that fight at the lake and was the ones to summon the snakes in the first place. And more than twenty eyewitnesses from all Houses say the same regarding the incident a few days ago: Malfoy was the one to let loose those Boggarts on di Angelo."

The High Inquisitor chose that moment to butt in. "Regardless, I think we ought to look at the bigger picture. Even if Draco did conjure up those snakes and let loose those Boggarts, he has done us a great favour. He has exposed a potential Dark Wizard."

The Transfiguration teacher turned her gaze, dislike plain on her face. "By making a teenage-boy lose his composure, thus endangering his fellow students from the let out of accidental magic? Accidental magic, no matter the amount, is still just that: Accidental. And as it is, no one knows the full extent of the power of accidental magic. Powerful accidental magic doesn't make Nico di Angelo a Dark wizard, Professor Umbridge."

The Minister of Magic turned his gaze, face matching the anger coming off the Transfiguration teacher. "Maybe, Professor McGonagall, but fact remains that Nico di Angelo is dangerous and a threat. Given what di Angelo has displayed of powers up till now, accidental or not, I think that we need to give him some deterrence from dabbling with Dark Arts such as Umbrakinesis."

Umbridge nodded. "Indeed Minister. A pre-emptive measure might deter young di Angelo from mingling with the wrong people. May I suggest a guided tour of Azkaban? Let him see how the prisoners are treated. One hour should be enough to deter him from the Dark Arts and going against the Ministry. And Umbrakinesis usually warrant seven years imprisonment. Let him spend a single night in a secure cell and he will learn not to dabble with powers that endanger innocent citizens if he loses control of it. And-"

She didn't get to finish whatever she was going to say, because McGonagall exploded, absolutely outraged by what she had heard. "You want to throw a mere boy into a prison filled with the worst criminals our country has ever seen, for simply losing control of his magic because he was upset?! This is an outrage! When have we ever imprisoned people for losing control of their emotions?! Merlin's beard, is there no such thing as common sense these days! If you imprison Nico alongside the scum within Azkaban's walls, chances are that he will suffer a psychic breakdown and be traumatized for life! Or that he will become what you tried to prevent: A Dark wizard! Do you people even follow Muggle research? Research shows that if you throw a juvenile delinquent into a prison for adults, chances are that when he is released he will become an obdurate criminal. Bottom line is: The result would be the opposite of your intention!"

Fudge turned on his heels, anger on his face. "Be that as it may, Professor McGonagall, but I cannot ignore the rumours! Rumours have it that di Angelo is a necromancer for Merlin's sake! Necromancy warrants ten years in Azkaban, depending on the circumstances!"

"A rumour that was started by frightened children that may, or may not, have seen evidence of it." Dumbledore said calmly as he straightened a bit in his chair, the usual twinkle in his eyes. But then it dimmed and he spoke in a less friendly voice. "Speaking of necromancy: Have the Unspeakables found out what exactly happened with the Veil in the Death Chamber a week ago?"

The Minister of Magic went pale, disbelief crossing his face. Then, anger took over. "How did you… oh let me guess, Arthur Weasley told you about it, didn't he? Is he spying for you, is that it?"

Albus suppressed a sigh. "No, Cornelius, Arthur Weasley doesn't spy for me. As a matter of fact, he and I were having tea at the time at The Three Broomsticks with young William Weasley. But I've heard disturbing rumours. Something about explosions and a hole in the floor and ceiling of the atrium, going all the way from Level Nine where eyewitnesses got a glimpse of an old archway, to street level at the top, before the Unspeakables and Maintenance staff respectively managed to block both holes. The Muggles talk about a gas explosion, but I wonder… " The aged Headmaster gave the Minister a look over his glasses. "People tend to tell a tale when they are drunk or wants to be the centre of attention, Cornelius. And old people tend to be overlooked at parties. Who knows what an old crook might do for a little attention?"

Fudge's eyes narrowed. "Are you attempting to blackmail me, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly, though they also held a bit of seriousness in them. "Oh no, I would never dream of attempting blackmailing one in your position, Minister. I'm not in a position to try such a thing as most of the public have lost faith in me because of the rumours I have attempted to spread regarding Lord Voldemort's return. But, there is always an ounce of truth in even the most ridiculous rumour and gossip. And sometimes, rumours and gossip gets investigated by a third and fourth part because they want to find that ounce of truth… even if that rumour was something as outrageous as the esteemed Ministry conducting research on death and trifling with necromancy. I'm sure that the Daily Prophet would be very interested in hearing the newest rumour I has to say. That way, they can verify that I'm an old senile fool, don't you agree, Cornelius?"

Fudge ground his teeth. Dumbledore had the gall to sit there and smile jovially at him, but there was truth in his words. Some freelance reporter or some other might start sniffing around about what had happened in the Ministry. And if that somehow got out, the public would scream for a more throughout investigation. And if the investigation and its results became open to the public, it would send the population into a state of panic. Several Unspeakables, Hit Wizards and Aurors killed with minimal effort and in gruesome ways. But how did Dumbledore know about it? If Arthur Weasley was having tea with Dumbledore, alongside his son, then who else within the Ministry were loyal to Dumbledore? In the end, Fudge decided, it didn't matter. What he needed was that Dumbledore didn't spread additional rumours to destabilize their community until the situation at the Ministry was covered completely.

"Just keep di Angelo in line, Dumbledore."

With that he turned on his heels and stormed out, Umbridge following soon after, an unreadable expression on her face. The Potions Master spoke up, a frown on his face. "You are playing a dangerous game, Albus. You almost called the loyalties of Kingsley, Tonks and myself into question by revealing so much."

The glint in the Headmaster's eyes dimmed with sadness. "Yes, and I'm truly sorry for that Severus. But I needed something to buy us some time from Fudge until we figure out what to do about the tension between Draco and Nico." He looked at Severus. "Does Draco really fear for his life?"

Severus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Draco knows he stepped in it with the Boggarts. And with the incident at the lake and after seeing di Angelo lose control, he is now aware that he is no match for di Angelo. I don't know if he indeed fears for his life, but he fears di Angelo will take revenge for what he did."

"Which would be well in his right, I might add." McGonagall, having calmed down a bit, responded dryly. "Still, I think we should take precautions. Nico's friends are not likely to let Malfoy go unpunished, but Nico is my main point of concern. Teenagers are prone to do rash things, especially if they have been hurt, be it physically or emotionally. And seeing his three worst fears brought to life like that is bound to have hurt, whether he shows and admits to it or not."

Dumbledore gave a weary nod. "Which is why I think we need to think of ways to keep young Draco and Nico away from each for some time, even after Draco returns, but we will dwell on that later. Severus, are there any news about what happened in the Death Chamber in the Department of Mysteries?"

Snape shook his head. "No. All I know is seven Unspeakables were killed when some monster emerged from the Veil, leaving some animal like footprints behind. As it ascended through the Ministry, it killed off ten Aurors and seven Hit Wizards, several visitors and employees from several departments and their division. I think their count, according to Lucius, mount to about thirty-five killed."

Albus let out a saddened sigh. So much destruction and death within a timespan of five minutes? "I see. And we have no clues as to what that monster might be?"

Once more, the master spy shook his head. "None. Our best clues are that the footprints are similar to that of a reptile. Also, according to Lucius, the Dark Lord has been speaking to the monster in Parseltongue, who seems to answer him in some rumbling voice."

Dumbledore frowned, before shaking his head. "I'm afraid that doesn't give me any clues to what Voldemort is up to." He let out a sigh before standing up. "Now, I don't know about you, but I could use a Butterbeer. Anyone wish to join me in The Three Broomsticks?"

Both of the younger Professors excused themselves, saying it was late, before leaving. Chuckling to himself, the Headmaster looked at his watch. "Hmm… Eleven p.m. Perfect time for a stroll to Hogsmeade."

With that the aged wizard left his office and was thus missed the conversation between the phoenix and the Hat.

"He is quite a noisy one, isn't he, that Minister."

Fawkes tilted his head. "Squawk."

The Hat nodded "You are right. Neither of us won this time around, so am I right in assuming the bet continues?"

Fawkes let out a chirp.

"Yes, yes, the stakes are the same. If I win, you have to eat as much of Albus' candy and Hagrid's cooking as you can before you 'die'. If I lose, I will incorporate a Justin Bieber song into my intro song for next year. Deal?"

The phoenix gave a questionable squawk.

The Hat gave the phoenix an indignant look. "When have I ever backed down from a lost bet?"

The red bird turned its head, giving the Hat a look before squawking and chirping a few times.

The Hat let out a huff. "That doesn't count, Bird-Brain, and you know it. Besides, it was only twenty years ago, or are your memory failing you at your age? As I'm sure you remember, you wagered that the so-called Marauders would accomplish removing me from this office without Dumbledore noticing before their fifth year ran out. I said they wouldn't be able to do it before one month of their sixth had passed. As it turned out, they did it ten minutes after their fifth year was officially over and only returned me right before I had to sort the new students of the next school year. Their feat earned them an E-O in all their exams that year. McGonagall didn't approve of it, but Dumbledore thought they deserved a reward instead of a punishment for their feat." The Hat chuckled. "Lily Evans spent an entire week shouting at and scolding young Messrs Black and Potter. She never realized, to my knowledge at least, that it was young Mr Lupin who was the mastermind behind the plan. Many students have tried to achieve the same feat, but they always get caught."

"Squawk."

The Sorting Hat let out sigh. "I think you are right. We better keep a tight eye on the situation. Will you check up on the progress of the other demigods?"

Fawkes didn't reply. He just vanished in a burst of flames.

00000

A week went by, marking the beginning of November, and still was there no sign of Malfoy. And the Quidditch pitch had been repaired and was soon to be reopened. The only thing the teachers had been unable to do anything about was the ground. But Dumbledore had promised that he personally would conjure up something to catch and shield them from the ground. And to top it all, Hagrid was back. All in all, Harry mused, it had been a very good week.

He and his friends had wanted for Nico to meet Hagrid last evening, but their new friend had declined. Apparently, he had some matters to attend to. They hadn't pushed as they were eager to see their big friend, but Nico just vanishing like that made them slightly uneasy and suspicious about what he was up to. But all of that was forgotten when they had entered Hagrid's cabin and had convinced Hagrid to tell them about his mission to the giants. Hagrid, in turn, was very eager to hear about what had happened at Hogwarts while he was gone. They had feared he would react poorly when they described Nico, but they should have known better as Hagrid said he sounded like an interesting fellow and that he would be interested in meeting him.

Harry sighed as he and his friends trudged through the snow into the Forbidden Forest. They had tried telling Hagrid what kind of person Umbridge was, but they hadn't gotten through to him. Hermione had tried getting him to change his lesson and to stick to Professor Grubbly-Plank's plans, but he had refused to budge, saying he had something special he wanted to show them.

The dark-haired youth took a quick look around as they stopped. The trees stood so closely together that dusk reigned and the ground was free of snow. He took notice of the other students nervously moving from tree to tree as if they expected to be attacked at any given moment, but he chose to focus more on Hagrid when the friendly half-giant flung the cow carcass from him with a grunt.

"Now, gather around here." Hagrid said encouragingly. "C'mon, don't be shy now. Now, they will be drawn here by the smell of blood and flesh, but I'm goin' to give them a call, for they like to know it's me callin' them."

With that he drew air into his lungs and let out strange cry like if he was a monstrous bird. Nobody laughed, and Harry put it down to them being too scared to come with even the smallest of peeps. Hagrid let out another cry and another minute passed by with the students looking anxiously around. As Hagrid prepared to let out a third cry, Harry poked Ron and pointed at a gap between two old yew trees.

Harry looked with a great deal of relief as he saw one of the strange horses who had pulled the carriages. He wasn't the only one who could see them. Finally, he was going to get this mystery solved, so when Hagrid asked who could see the eating horses, Harry put his fist into air.

The half-giant gave a slight nod. "I knew you would be able to see them Harry. You too, Neville? And you too Mr Nott? Now, I know some of ya are wondering what is eating the flesh and the answer is: Thestrals."

And so followed a debate about them being omens for bad luck, or at least they were according to Parvati which was refuted by Hagrid. Harry had just gotten his answer why only a few people in the class could see them, as according to Hermione, only people who had seen someone die could see the mysterious horse-like creatures, when his day started going wrong.

"Hem-hem."

Professor Umbridge had arrived in all her green cape and glory. And when she spoke, it was in slow voice as if she was taking to a foreigner that barely understood English. "Did you receive the message I sent to your cottage this morning? In which I informed you about me inspecting your class?"

Hagrid nodded the affirmative, voice cheerful. "Of course. Good ya found us. Well, as you can see- or maybe not? – Can you? The lesson of today is about Thestrals…"

"Excuse me?" Umbridge said loudly, putting a hand behind her ear while frowning. "What did you say?"

The half-giant got a confused expression on his face. "Eh… Thestrals." He said loudly. "Ya know… big, winged-horses, ya know?"

The friendly half-giant hopefully flapped his enormous arms. Harry tried signalling with his eyes for him to stop, but it was too late as Umbridge wrote down something on her note pad and spoke the words out loud, just enough to be heard. "Has to resort to… primitive… sign language."

Things only got worse from there. Umbridge went out of her way to undermine and sabotage Hagrid's lesson and the half-giant lost his confidence in himself as the lesson progressed. Thirty minutes later, Umbridge apparently thought she was done.

"Well Hagrid," she said in that slow voice. "I think I have observed enough to process your file. You will receive the result of my inspection about ten days. . Now, I will leave you to wrap up the lesson and return to the castle."

She had barely finished her gestures to indicate she would leave them when a voice spoke, startling the furious Harry and Hermione and pretty much all of the other students.

"I don't think. No one leaves until I say so."

Harry almost jumped out of his skin. A girl, about his age, stood a few feet from him, hand resting on a sword at her side. She wore white-and-grey camouflage pants and parka and, to Harry's surprise, she had with a quiver filled with arrows that appeared to be made of silver and a bow on her back. She had spiky black hair and wore a silver tiara across her brow. Her eyes were electric blue and her face had a super-healthy glow to go with her freckles.

And the stare she was giving them told Harry one thing: She was not in the mood for games, and she was not be messed with. But apparently Umbridge wasn't of the same opinion. "I'm Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor of Hogwarts and Senior Undersecretary the Minister for Magic, girl, and I will not-"

Umbridge let out a shriek as an arrowed whizzed past the girl's ear and struck the ground in front of the High Inquisitor, making her take a step back. Harry would have laughed at the look on Umbridge's face, but there was no reason to laugh: More girls emerging from the woods, about forty of them, all of them with bows trained on him, Umbridge, Hagrid and the students in a circle, effectively surrounding them and cutting off all chances of escape. The girl, who he assumed to be their leader stepped forward, eyes narrowed.

"I don't care who you are. My sisters and I have had a long journey. We fought a werewolf in Edinburgh and have beaten back huge spiders three times while in this god forsaken forest, so mine… no, our, patience is running rather thin."

Harry heard Ron gasp behind him. "Merlin… these girls fought off Aragog's family three times already?! Who are they?"

Harry shrugged. "Dunno, but I don't think they are here for a courtesy visit."

Umbridge glared and straightened up. "Are you attempting to take us hostage? I will have you thrown into Azkaban for this! Who are you and what do want? Money?" When she didn't get a response, she turned her glare at Hagrid. "And you. Why didn't you check to see if this part of the forest was safe before coming here? It is dangerous to civilized people at the best of times, as I'm sure you are aware." Her eyes widened. "Oh, I get it. You knew they were here all along and wanted to scare me, is that it?"

Hagrid, still baffled by the appearance of all those girls, though Harry was certain his confusion was also because horrification that these girls apparently had been fighting and possible killing some of Aragog's family, gave the High Inquisitor a nervous look. "Wha'? No, of course not. I…"

He was cut off when the leader of the bow-wielding girls spoke. "You insult us, High Inquisitor. You don't see or hear us unless we want you to. Besides, we're on our way to this Hogwarts School we have heard so much about in the newspapers when I spotted you. Hoping to find some useful information, we followed you here and surrounded you."

Hagrid frowned, looking at the girls pointing arrows at them, before setting his gaze on the apparent leader as he stepped forward "Who are you girls? Put down those bows before someone gets hurt, will yer? What do yer want from us anyways?"

The leader stared at Hagrid, then at Umbridge, to the students before returning to her gaze to the half-giant. "Who we are isn't important. What we want is very important. But it is only fair to introduce ourselves. I'm Thalia and together with my sisters, we are the Hunters of Artemis. We have come to collect my cousin. Where are you keeping him? Where is Nico di Angelo?"

End chapter 11

**AN2/2: Well, this chapter was shorter than I expected it to be, but I got everything I wanted in it, so I'm happy about it. The scenes with Annabeth, Hunters Camp and them explaining Parselmouth to Nico (not the whole scene, just that part) was originally scheduled for last chapter, but because how long the D.A. and Boggart scenes got, I had to postpone it as I had no idea how long they would be. **

**Now, to address a few general points/questions I'm sure some of you might bring up. **

**1: I have been asked a few times when Percy will arrive and seen disappointment that he hasn't arrived yet. I think I have answered it a few times by now, in anonymous reviews at least, but I will say it to all now: By my current calculations/schedule, Percy shouldn't arrive before start December or roughly around chapter 14-15. I know I have said he would arrive sooner (like late October or so) but I changed that due to the forgery of Nico's new weapon(s). In any case, for now, Percy's group is scheduled for arrival in chapter 14-15.**

**2: Regarding the scene in the Gryffindor Common Room and Nico teasing Harry and Ron: I have absolutely nothing against gays or lesbians. But fact remains that teens, especially boys around Harry's current age, gets slightly, well, panicky, flushed, embarrassed, angry, if their sexuality are brought into question. At least, that is how I remember how it were when I was 15. **

**That scene was also to show I intend to use NicoxHermione. For comic relief mostly, except for 4-5 crucial parts, one of them being them getting together in the first place. If any took offence to my way of having Nico tease Harry and Ron, I apologize, but I'm not going to change it. **

**3: Someone might complain about Remus being the mastermind behind the Marauders' "abduction" of the Sorting Hat being terrible OOC. My only defence to that is that Remus is my favourite character in 'Harry Potter'. And I'm one of those fans that like to play around/think that Remus was the mastermind behind some of the more spectacular and elaborate pranks of the Marauders. James and Sirius ideas, sure, but Remus was the brain that made them possible to pull off by doing research on spells etc. That is all. **

**4: Hope I didn't offend any possible Justin Bieber fans out there. Have never heard one of his songs, so I don't have much to base an opinion on, but I just thought that it would be embarrassing for the Sorting Hat if it had to let a teen-pop singer influence its songs.**

**5: One of my reviewers brought up a rather good point about the power relations between demigods contra wizards. Most tends to say demigods wizards. I have been trying to portray something different but I see now I might not have been all that clear about it. Therefore, thanks to said reviewer, I tried making a list/chart of raw power as how I view and try portraying it in my story. However, keep in mind that some of lower ranking might take out some of higher with a lucky shot and that this list/chart is only a rough guideline and might change.**

**Sons of Big Three****: Percy, Jason, Nico. ****Wizards who can match them****: Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort, and possible a few Death Eaters (Bellatrix mostly) and Order members (Remus, Sirius, Kingsley and Mad-Eye Moody) and the Four Heads of Houses (Pomona Sprout being slightly doubtful)**

**Demigods with potent/powerful abilities****: Leo Valdez, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, Thalia Grace and OCs Marcus, Mariana and Erica (the two latter doubtful) ****Wizards who best them:**** All above for sure. **

**Wizards who they are equal to/can go either way:**** Teachers of Hogwarts, all Death Eaters, all Order members, Aurors/Hit Wizards, most adult/grown wizards and witches. And maybe, all depending on the match-up, Hogwarts students years 5-7.**

**Experienced standard demigods with minor or no special powers:**** Annabeth, Stoll brothers, most of Hunters of Artemis = Hogwarts students years 5-7 depending on match-up Adult wizards/witches and above.**

**Inexperienced standard demigods with minor or no special powers:**** = or Hogwarts students Years 3-4+**

**Number four is unlikely to appear though. Now, remember, it is only a rough guideline. **

**Last bit of information: I'm going to school next week so from here on, my updates are going to become more irregular. I can only hope you will stay patient with me. **

**Hope the chapter was worth the wait. **

**Time to answer anonymous reviews.**

PJO4EVER1218 8/22/13 . chapter 10

AMAZING! Love the story so far! Update soon! As in ASAP!

**Response:**** Thank you **** Hope this was fast enough for you. But it will probably be some time before I update again. **

Guest 8/21/13 . chapter 10

still no percy ?

**Response:**** Nope, Percy won't arrive at Hogwarts before chapter 14-15.**

Guest 8/18/13 . chapter 10

Continue this story!

**Response:**** Don't worry, I will **

Guest 7/28/13 . chapter 10

how did the romans find nico before the greeks?

**Response:**** The Greek and Hunters started their search in the southern part of United Kingdom with the Hunters going first. The team from Camp Half-Blood got ashore at a town named Bristol as they were to rendezvous with the Hunters there (Chapter 5). The Romans started their search from Scotland's northern shore, as Octavian had found out through his auguries that Nico was in a castle in Scotland, and they had eagles to help them (Chapter 5 and 7). In short, they started much closer to Hogwarts than the Greeks and Hunters of Artemis. Hope that answered your question **

Ella 7/27/13 . chapter 10

Hey, lightningscar! Awesome name by the way.

I read this story after seeing it recommended in another story, Dumbledore's Questionable Plan, and I must say, I am very impressed. You have captured most of the characters' personalities exquisitely, especially Nico. I love the way you have written his rocky relationship with both camps, as many fics I've read seem to forget about it.

Please update soon, I would follow the story if I had an account on any of the options, but, alas, I don't.

Amazing story, keep it up.

Ella

**Response:**** Thank you ****. You have a nice way too by the way ;) I try my hardest to keep the characters true to their personalities while also adding a tad of my own preferences or how I want them to be. As for his rocky relationship with the camps. Well, in the books, I don't know if he has a rocky relationship with the camps. He probably will if they ever find out he travelled between them, but so far, the seven haven't told on him. I just wanted another plot than go-Hogwarts-guard-and-destroy-Horcruxes kind of plot. Then I read the 'The Lost Hero' and I got hit by a train with new plot ideas. And a few more after 'Son of Neptune'**

**I think you should get an account. It is for free and it makes reviewing, following and finding stories that much faster once you have put them on alert. Plus, it makes it a bit easier to respond to reviews and answer your questions if any.**

Gracefulalexis 7/19/13 . chapter 10

OOH! I really loved the part with Nico's boggarts! By far one of the most exciting things I have read in a while. Hermione is a great person for hanging with Nico after that incident.

I don't really mind any pairings, but this one had a really good build up to the kiss. I must say, I sit around half the time looking for updates on my email (I'm not logged in right now), and yours are always bring the most pleasure to me when I find one, given how long each chapter is and how exciting and detailed the chapters are.

Take your time, MEET THE HUNTERS SOON!

-A

**Response:** **Can't remember if I tracked you down and answered in a PM. If I did, sorry for this response **

**Thank you**** The Boggart-scene was a scene that kick-started my ideas for this story to begin and was one of the scenes I was, if not the most of all, excited to write. And I'm glad you approve of me choosing Hermione for Nico to hang out with after the incident and that I did good job with the build up for the kiss. **

**Heh, wonder how long time you sat around waiting for this chapter to pop up? ;) In any case, I'm happy to hear you await my updates and think so highly of my chapters. This one wasn't as long and possible not as detailed as the last one, but it was the best I could do. And I wanted to update before college, so yeah. But I hope it was an exciting read nonetheless. **

**If I ask for a request: Please log in when you review. Makes it a lot easier to respond to you. **

**Anyways, happy to hear you enjoyed the previous chapter and hope you enjoyed this (chapter 11) just as much. **

**Yours, **

**Lightningscar.**

Guest 7/18/13 . chapter 10

amazing ! Why is nico so smart in this fanfic?

**Response:**** Thank you **** But I'm afraid you will have to be a bit more specific with your question as my answer might not cover it. But I will try anyways. **

**In the books, Nico proved to be pretty wise and smart for a guy his age (figured out about Luke swimming in the Styx, tracked down his mother). I don't see how or why his intelligence would or should diminish over a few years. Also, in this fic he is 15 years old, 1-2 years older than in the books, so he is more experienced as a demigod and has honed his deductive skills and combat prowess. **

**If you are referring to his school smarts in Hogwarts: Don't remember what chapter it was mentioned, but he doesn't excel at every subject.**

**Hope that answered your question **


	12. Chapter 12

**AN1/2: Thank you to all who have reviewed and put on follow/favourite lists. Please fasten your seatbelts for chapter 12 of 'Dark Phoenix'**

Chapter 12: Shades of the Forest.

"Who we are isn't important. What we want is very important. But it is only fair to introduce ourselves. I'm Thalia and together with my sisters, we are the Hunters of Artemis. We have come to collect my cousin. Where are you keeping him? Where is Nico di Angelo?"

Neville stared at Thalia in disbelief. Another cousin? And one who seemed about as friendly as Jason. Speaking of Jason… Thalia's eyes were eerily similar to the ones of the older boy. Could they be related? Neville shook his head, feeling like giving himself a mental slap. All of the old Wizard Families of Europe were somehow related to each other, so why shouldn't the American wizards be the same? Though, having about forty arrows aimed at him was enough to give him other things to worry about. But there was another thing that worried Neville: The energy levels of these Hunters of Artemis. All of them were near or a little higher than the energy level of Harry, but Thalia and a girl with blonde hair and green eyes had both power levels well above the Boy Who Lived, Thalia being awfully close to the level of Jason and Nico.

The Gryffindor looked around at his fellow students and saw all of Gryffindors preparing for a fight, though if it was to protect themselves or Nico, he couldn't tell. Hand inching closer to his wand, he crept closer to Harry and his friends who were standing back-to-back, painfully aware of the girls aiming arrows at them. He got there, just as the High Inquisitor spoke up.

"And why do you want di Angelo?"

Thalia narrowed her gaze. The woman in green seriously grated on her nerves. Moreover, the big man might turn out to be a threat. When they had observed the class, Erica had informed that he had to be a half-giant, though, fortunately, most definitely not one of the Greek mythology ones. Shaking her head slightly, she returned the gaze of the short woman.

"We want him back home where he belongs, with people who care about him. Besides, some of our friends have something to discuss with him regarding the night he disappeared... or should I say, when you kidnapped him."

Umbridge spluttered indignantly. "Kid- kidnapped him?! Di Angelo?! Why would we even want him here?!"

Thalia glared. "That is what I want to know. After all, your sports arena was almost destroyed when you stopped him from, leaving, wasn't it? There were rumours that your ministry considered sending Dementors to guard the school."

The High Inquisitor's eyes went wide, then she smiled pleasantly, ignoring the startled looks from the students who remembered the last time Dementors visited their school all too well. "My dear girl, there seems to have been a misunderstanding. The Minister has no plans about sending Dementors to guard the school. And I can promise you that we did not kidnap young Mr di Angelo, and we are most certainly not keeping him against his will. As a matter of fact, I have tried having him removed from the school."

Thalia narrowed her gaze. She couldn't tell whether or not the woman was lying. Also, the sudden shift in personality, going from raging to sugar-sweet told the Lieutenant of Artemis that she was well-versed in deception or manipulation, possibly both. She would have to be careful with this one. But if they indeed weren't keeping Nico against his will… Thalia shook the thoughts from her mind. She would need to stay focused on the task currently at hand, not one that might pop up later.

"Assuming what you say is true… I suppose you wouldn't mind showing me where Nico is then?"

The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher smiled sweetly. "But of course. And while we walk, you can tell the class here about how to fight and kill a werewolf. It is a very impressive feat, and I'm sure my students would appreciate the insight."

Thalia opened her mouth, but Erica beat her to it. "We didn't kill him, unfortunately. He was a pretty good fighter, so he got away. His name was Remus Lupin or something like that."

"WHAT!?"

The simultaneously cries of outrage made birds leave their trees and almost caused the Hunters of Artemis to release their arrows at the sudden yell. Looking around, Thalia saw several boys and girls glaring at them, eyes ablaze with anger. A girl with bushy brown hair stepped forward, a group of five boys and two girls right behind her, and Thalia could hear the underlying bubbling fury in her voice when she spoke.

"How dare you! How dare you! What gave you the right to attack him?! He has never harmed anyone! He is one of the kindest men I have met!"

Harry saw the girl with blond hair and green eyes level her gaze at Hermione, and when he noticed most of the girls aiming their arrows at them, he stepped up behind Hermione, hand on his wand, prepared to defend his friend at a moment's notice.

The green-eyed chick with the blond hair gave them both an appraising gaze, as if gauging the threat they posed. When she spoke, her voice was hard.

"Because they are monsters. And we all have bad experiences with them. No matter their form, they are viciously uncivilized and manipulative, just like the worst of men. They talk sweet to get what they want, but when you deny them it, they resort to primitive violence."

Another round of angry outcries and Hermione took another step forward, eyes glaring bloody murder. "More uncivilized than a gang of girls pointing their weapons at others and attack without provocation?"

The bookworm of Gryffindor drew in a shaky breath, trying to calm her anger.

"You speak the same kind of narrow-minded bigotry wizards and witches have done for centuries! You think yourself better than those whose blood isn't pure, or those who have suffered great misfortune at some point in their life. You don't even try to understand their misery and help, preferring to stay ignorant and keeping them in their suffering, just because it is convenient for you! You judge them without even knowing who they are, simply because they are not like you and your ideals. You judge them on who their parents are, or on their wealth, but you don't try seeing the true value of their personality and choices. So who are the viciously uncivilized barbarians, or to use your words, monsters, here?"

Stunned silence filled the clearing and when Harry looked around, he could see that Hermione's words had struck a nerve among the gathered, though their reactions varied greatly. The Slytherins and Umbridge were staring at her with some mix of disbelief, disgust, anger and trepidation, while many of the students from the other Houses were looking at her with angst, curiosity, shock and shame all in one. Hagrid looked like he was about to sweep her up in one of his bone crushing hugs and cry.

The Boy-Who-Lived took a look at the girl archers. Most of them had shocked expressions on their faces like no one had ever dared to tell them off before. Some of them, what Harry guessed to be new members, looked slack-jawed, but Harry hoped their fingers on their bowstrings wouldn't slack either, as it would be a lot of arrows being released. But three of the Hunters stood out.

Thalia, Erica and a big girl all wore expressions of growing curiosity and respect. Then the big beefy girl started laughing.

"She got you there, Erica. She got spunk that girl, I like her. Thalia…"

The Lieutenant nodded. "Yes." Then she walked over to Hermione, stopping three feet from her. "What is your name?"

The Gryffindor bookworm held her head high, meeting the gaze of Thalia evenly. "Hermione Granger."

The daughter of Zeus smiled. "While we don't exactly approve of your words earlier, you have proved to possess a great amount of courage. Hermione, would you like to join the Hunters of Artemis?"

Hermione stiffened and her eyes and face got the same hardness and coldness as steel, making Harry fear that his bookish friend was going to tear into the dangerous girls for real. That worry prompted him to take a firm hold on his own wand with one hand while the other grasped Hermione's shoulder.

He watched with trepidation as the bushy haired witch glared right into the sky blue orbs of Thalia, her voice belying her anger when she answered.

"You want me to join your group, after you ambushed a class full of students? After attacking one of the kindest persons I've ever known without reason? After the grief your leader and little gang have caused my boyfriend?! You must be out of your mind if you think I will join you and your gang of bimbos and tramps… Lieutenant."

Thalia was in shock, just as the rest of the Hunters. No one, with the possible exception of some child of Aphrodite, had ever dared insulting them like that. She was bristling with anger and from the looks, so was the rest of her sisters-in-arms. But just as she opened her mouth, to say something very scathingly to the girl right in front of her, who wasn't averting her gaze, her mind processed what she had said.

"What are you talking about? Who is your boyfriend, girl? When have the Hunters even…" Disbelief and suspicion started to form in her mind. "Wait… are you saying that…"

Hermione nodded, getting right in Thalia's face. "Yes. I'm dating Nico, and your gang of bimbos and your leader caused him great grief when you manipulated his sister into joining you. Yes, he told me about that. He also told me how you leader got kidnapped and that his sister died tried to save her, but your leader never mentioned her again."

Thalia was stunned. Nico had actually talked to someone about Bianca's death, even if it was only scratching the surface, willingly? Thalia looked at Hermione with new eyes, even if said girl was glaring at her with venom. 'For Nico to have opened up, if even a bit… Hermione Granger, you must be some special girl.'

But that was about as far as Thalia's thought got before someone shouted out. "Incarcerous!

Thalia spun on her heels, just in time to see one of her Hunters go down, ensnared in rope. The response from the immortal maidens came promptly: About forty arrows were fired from all ranges and angles at the High Inquisitor who stood close to a group of students. That, however, didn't mean the other students were out of the line of fire.

"Protego!"

Harry swore quite profusely as he pulled Hermione to the ground, as a deflected arrow wheezed past where his head had been seconds before. Glancing up, he was shocked to see Thalia had caught the ricocheted arrow in her hand, eyes slowly hardening in her anger: Somehow, Harry doubted that anger was or would be directed at the Hunters. Harry quickly got on his feet, his eyes taking in the scene around him.

Chaos reigned. Umbridge had cast the first shield charm, trying to guard against the incoming arrows. There had just been one weakness with that: The arrows rebounded off the shield, sending them flying in different directions, forcing the nearby students to erect shields of their own. But with the organized Hunters of Artemis bombarding them with arrows from all around, and with the yells, screams, jets of lights fired from their wands and Hagrid bellowing, the Hogwarts students were hard pressed.

The Boy-Who-Lived took all of this in in a matter split seconds before he focused his gaze on the angry girl before him, barely aware of the ozone smell in the air. The moment her hand twitched towards her sword, Harry was ready.

"Stupefy!"

Thalia reacted with reflexes born from living on the street. She drew her sword, and used the blade to hit the jet of ret light away. Erica had warned them about the spells they were likely to encounter. The Stunner, or Stupefy spell, was one of them. Erica had made a long list but knowing that they probably wouldn't remember them all, and as she said, that when in doubt, the best defence against the spells was not being in the line of attack. The daughter of Zeus, however, wasn't ready for the second round.

"Expelliarmus!"

Another jet of light hit right in the chest, sending her and her sword flying. Getting into a sitting position, she glared at Hermione who had drawn her wand and was returning the glare full force. Letting out a low growl, Thalia got on her feet, the smell of ozone intensifying. "Good shot, Hermione, I will give you that. Now… it is my turn."

Arcs of electricity leapt from her fingertips and had it not been for Harry quickly casting a shield charm to cover the both of them, they both would have been blasted through the air. As it was, the electricity only smashed the shield, knocking down both teenagers. Getting back on his feet, clearly faster than Thalia had wanted him to, Harry pulled Hermione behind him.

"Hermione, stay behind me."

His bushy-haired friend did not appreciate what he said one bit and if he had turned around to see the expression on her face, he might have wanted to go a few rounds with a dragon or Basilisk. "Harry, I don't need you to protect me! I can handle myself! This is my fight too!"

Harry chuckled, but it barely held any humour. "I know that Hermione, I know, but I don't want you to get hurt. Not just because you are one of my best friends, but also because I would rather not find out whether or not Nico is the type who shoots the messenger."

Hermione blinked. "Harry… you aren't saying that you are afraid of Nico, are you?"

The Boy-Who-Lived ventured a glance over his shoulder, sending the bookworm a cheeky grin. "Under normal circumstances, no. But I would rather not have to explain to him that his girlfriend got hurt on my watch, especially if I could have done anything to prevent it; he would skin me alive. Hermione, you know me: I don't mess with forces of nature like Time, Death and angry protective boyfriends." Hermione let out a snort. Harry had messed with Time before, probably also Death. He might not have messed with angry boyfriends, but she was pretty sure that wasn't a force of nature. But before she could say anything, he spoke again. "Besides, I need someone to watch my back right now."

Hermione nodded, she could go with that, though all she wanted was to hex Thalia and all of the Hunters into oblivion. But then things took a turn for the worse. She couldn't see the Thestral itself, but she could hear its keening scream and an arrow hovering in mid-air with red on its tip. Gulping, she looked at Harry.

"Is it…"

Harry shook his head. "No, it is hit in its calf. I'm guessing it got hit by a rebounding arrow..."

"TENEBRUS!"

Hagrid's shout could be heard over all of the fighting and the arrows and spells stopped flying around for a few seconds. But then he charged, enraged that one of the Hunters had hurt his apparent favourite Thestral. Unfortunately, this in turn caused the Hunters to pay more attention to him and focus their fire on him. But for a man his size, the gamekeeper could move quite fast, as three unfortunate Hunters discovered first hand. He swatted two of them away with a single hand while he tossed the third into a tree. Then he bellowed when an arrow got through his thick coat and tough skin, quickly followed by two others.

His angry yells was answered with matching cries of outrage from every Gryffindor present. The Hunters may not have aimed to kill, but one of the arrows had come dangerously close to the half-giant's throat. The Gryffindors went into a frenzy of anger and started firing off every jinx, hex and curse they could think of.

Harry bit back a curse when Thalia nimbly dodged another Stunner. Hermione had left his back as she had hurried over to help Hagrid that, despite having several arrows sprouting from his frame, kept fighting and trying to get near the archers. Harry suspected that because of his giant's blood, the gamekeeper's skin and underlying muscles were much harder than your average human.

"You don't have time to look away, boy!"

Harry inwardly cursed his lapse of focus as an arc of electricity flew past his head and he thanked his Seeker reflexes for not failing him. Thalia was just playing with him now, and he did not appreciate it one bit. But his anger turned to dread when Thalia called out, though she seemingly didn't like it.

"It is time to end this fight. Erica, give the order."

The girl who Hermione had launched into a tirade against looked up before nodding grimly. "Hunters! Time to stop firing just to keep them in check! Time to fire to disarm them! No deadly force!"

How the Hunters of Artemis heard her over the commotion, Harry had no idea. What he did know, however, was the Hunters were about to hit him and his friends… hard. And the worst part was that they still had plenty of arrows to fire. He looked around the clearing and as he suspected, this time, the Hunters would all fire at once, and with different angles too. So far, it had been relatively random fire from them, keeping the students in place, which also allowed them to retrieve the arrows that landed near them, having been deflected by various shield charms. It was a sobering thought, really. His fellow students had had to protect themselves with shield charms from not just direct attacks, but also the deflected arrows. It was no wonder they hadn't been able to form some kind of formation so they could cover each other. He and his friends had stood like that at some point, but they had broken formation when Hermione had decided to give the Hunters a piece of her mind.

Harry looked around frantically. Thalia was summoning electricity that was curling around her like a snake and the Boy-Who-Lived had a feeling that she would use that electricity to blast any shields apart, carving the way for the arrows that Harry was sure would find their mark without a force field to stop them. Hagrid might have taken down nine of the Hunters singlehanded compared to Umbridge and the students five, but he was slowing down with twenty or so arrows sprouting from his back, legs and arms. And while Erica had said no deadly force was to be used, Harry wasn't sure they would obey that order concerning Hagrid.

"Fire!"

Time seemed to slow down for Harry. He saw the some arrows being released, flying horizontally at the students while others descended in arches. Hagrid roared at the girl archers, and Umbridge and his classmates and friends were putting up shield charms. But like he suspected, the moment the shields were formed, Thalia shattered them with well-aimed small bolts of controlled lightning, causing a lot of students to get a jolt and scramble to get out of the way for the arcs of electricity, inadvertently changing where the arrows would hit them.

Time seemed to speed up again as that horrible thought hit Harry like a Bludger to the face. He desperately pointed his wand in the direction of the group of students, not caring that by doing so, he turned his back to Thalia, hoping to help his friends somehow, but his mind came up blank. A shield charm wouldn't be of that much help, especially with Thalia ready to blast them down, but what else could he use?

"Pro-!"

Harry didn't finish what he was sure would have been a feeble attempt at a shield charm, for at that moment, a gust of wind hit the clearing like a hurricane, blowing the arrows away while most of the students' robes billowed in the wind. Then, a feeling of fear and death rolled over the clearing like a tidal wave, making a lot of the students go deadly pale. Even Hagrid and some of the Hunters seemed to be shaken. Umbridge was pale and sweating a river of cold sweat, and Harry would have smiled if it wasn't for the air being suffocating, and the feeling of fear for his life gripping his heart. Out of all the people there, Thalia and Erica seemed the least affected. Both girls had paled a little and even had a bead of sweating running down their cheeks, but their eyes were searching among the trees, looking for the culprit with determination.

Harry knew full well who was behind all of this, but he still wished he would stop. The level of fear and death Nico had released this time, wherever he was, was much more intense than when they were in the Hog's Head and the Boy-Who-Lived felt that if it didn't stop soon, he would vomit. As if Nico somehow had heard his thoughts, the feeling fear and death abruptly stopped, leaving Harry, the class and Umbridge dry-heaving on the forest floor. Still, Harry got a shock when a hand landed on his shoulder and Nico's voice rang out behind him.

"Sorry I'm late."

Harry turned his head to tell him not to worry about it, but his thoughts went from 'That is okay' to 'What the heck are you wearing?' to 'Are you bloody mental? You are going to catch a severe cold.'

It was early November, but Nico seemed to have missed that fact. He was wearing a couple of black sweat pants that was well suited for running, but what really shocked Harry was the fact that his arms were bare, wearing what appeared to be some sort of black armour. It wasn't as intricate or intimidating as the one of Boggart-Nico, it, but the piece of shoulder-less black leather still managed to make Harry nervous. He was obviously dressed for battle, though Harry couldn't spot any weapons. Still, what really worried Harry were Nico's eyes. The dark eyes held nothing but anger in them, and Harry was sure it was only because he was so close to Nico that he could see it, but he would swear that there was a tinge of red in them.

The Boy-Who-Lived glanced around as he slowly got back on his feet. The Gryffindors, Hagrid and Umbridge were getting on their feet as well, while the other students kept down, faces ashen. Deciding on not risking to irk Nico by bring up his choice of attire, or bringing Umbridge's ire back up, he asked the first question that he felt safe asking.

"Nico, how did you know where we were?"

The son of Hades gave his friend a glance before walking into the midst of the students, wrapping an arm around Hermione as she got fully on her feet. He worried briefly if he overdid it, but the small smile his girlfriend sent him reassured him that she was fine. Making sure his other friends were alright, he spoke calmly.

"Moony and his friends told me about seeing a girl following Umbridge into the forest. Plus, the flashes of light and noise of small explosions were helpful."

Umbridge and the girl named Thalia frowned, making Harry suspect that that Thalia took it as an insult to her stealth, while Umbridge was clearly affronted that he didn't designate her with her proper titles. But Harry knew what he meant. He had seen Thalia or more of the Hunters on the Marauder's Map and had decided on joining the party. Still…

"I see. But where did you get that… chest armour?"

Nico shrugged nonchalantly. "In the Multi Hobby Room and Research Room. I was just checking if the first part of my research was done, when I stumbled upon this fine piece of armour. Then I returned to Gryffindor and Moony told me."

Harry would have laughed at the confusion plain on Umbridge's face if the situation wasn't so tense. Once again, Harry understood Nico's cryptic code. Apparently he had been doing something in the Room of Requirement. And while he was curious about what he kind of research Nico could be doing, he wasn't sure his friend would appreciate it if he started asking questions about it. But Harry didn't get time to ponder it further, as Nico spoke in a voice that was deceptively friendly.

"Hello Thalia. What brings you and your friends to Scotland?"

Thalia stepped forward, meeting his gaze. "Nico, we have come to rescue you and bring you home."

Nico was silent for a few seconds, but then he laughed. But it wasn't friendly, nor did it hold any humour whatsoever. "Rescue me? Bring me home? Now this is just too rich. Camp tried killing me, Thalia, and now they suddenly want me back? Why, so they can make another attempt at my life? I don't think so. I like it here. So for you bringing me 'home'… thanks, but no thanks."

His voice turned deadly cold, sending shivers down Harry's spine. "And why would I even want to go with you and your Hunters of Artemis in the first place? You or some of your precious little Hunters attacked my sister."

Thalia frowned. "What? Attacked your sister? What are you talking about?"

Nico's eyes darkened and black fire started curling around his fingertips on the hand that wasn't wrapped around Hermione, waiting to be unleashed. "If you can't figure it out, then we've got nothing more to talk about. This is the second time the Hunters of Artemis have robbed me of a sister… but this time, I'm not even going to try and let it go."

Thalia was flabbergasted. She had no idea what Nico was talking about. What sister? What attack? But what worried her most was the fact that apparently hadn't gotten over the death of Bianca. Had he threatened her back then, like he did Percy, she most likely wouldn't have taken him seriously. But time had changed him… in more ways than one. He was no longer the scrawny little boy from five years ago whose biggest concern was his figurines and cards. Now he was a battle-hardened fighter with power to match.

Nevertheless, she was a daughter of Zeus, and she would not be intimidated by her cousin and as such, she roused her energy, preparing for a possible fight. Something she was glad she did when her second-in-command spoke.

"Nico di Angelo, you are to come with us and stop your father's madness. If you don't comply, we will resort to using force."

Nico raised an eyebrow, utterly unimpressed. Still, he took a step away from Hermione and his left hand was suddenly engulfed in black flames. "Go ahead… try it. I could use some better exercise than my ten kilometres run every second day." He glanced at Hagrid, taking in his battered form and the arrows sprouting from him. "Professor Hagrid, I presume?" The friendly half-giant gave a dumbfounded nod, clearly not being used to be addressed as such. "You need to get those wounds treated, Professor."

Hagrid grunted as he rose to his full height. "I guess yer must be that Nico kid. But yer don't need to worry about me, lad. I'm not that easy to take down, yer know."

The Ghost King gave the gamekeeper and Professor an appraising glancing, clearly gauging how well words and shape worked together. Then he smiled. "I don't doubt that one bit, Professor. But you have already done your job: You have protected your students and your colleague to the best of your ability. Protecting the next generation is one of the noblest things I can think of, and you have done that to perfection. They are unharmed, and you have even managed to take out some of the assailants. But Professor, the battle to come is going to be a most violent and ferocious one. I fear that the students might get caught in the cross-fire. So please… bring the students back to Hogwarts."

One of the Hunters spoke up. "And what makes you think we will just let him leave with the students?"

A murmur ran through the Hunters, but their Lieutenant raised her hand, instantly silencing them. "Because I say we will. Our fight with them was a big misunderstanding to begin with." She turned to Hagrid. "My cousin is right, Professor. While I don't want to fight Nico, battle seems inevitable. You have done a commendable job at protecting the students… I have nothing but deep respect for that. But there is no need, nor reason, for you and the students to get further injured or become casualties in a conflict that isn't yours." She sighed before meeting Nico's eyes. "I came here suspecting Nico was being brainwashed… now I see that might not be the case."

Erica nodded. "Whether he has or hasn't, isn't really important for now. We need to stop defeat him and bring him back to Camp. Personally though, I think he has become consumed by the curse of hatred… the curse of his father… the curse of…"

Erica didn't get to finish, for Nico made his move. He couldn't let her reveal anything about the gods, not that he really thought they would believe her, but they had been stalling this long enough. He brought up his left hand and, much to the shock of all present, inhaled the Black Hellfire. He was barely aware of the Gryffindors shouting protests about not leaving him to fight by himself when he exhaled, releasing a torrent of concentrated Black Hellfire.

It was a neat trick Nico had learned from Leo. It only increased his range with about three metres, giving his Black Hellfire a range up to fifteen metres, but because the flames were condensed, they crossed the distance faster than if he had thrown them in their purest form. And because they were condensed, they also had a smaller focus point, which in turn created a greater explosion upon impact. So when the stream of blazes hit the ground in front of Thalia and Erica, a wall of Black Hellfire, earth and dust rose in front of them, three and a half metres tall. And because of the sweeping motion Nico had made with his head during the exhalation, the wall of fire spanned twenty metres in length, starting ten metres on Thalia's right and ending ten metres to her left.

"Sweet mother of Merlin… what sort of magic was that!?"

Nico turned around. All of the students were staring at him shock, even his friends. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the Hunters of Artemis hurry towards the firewall, rallying around their leader. It wasn't a part of his plan, but no matter. And while it was funny seeing his friends being gobsmacked, this was not the time.

"What are you still doing here?! Get out of here, while they are still distracted!"

Ravenclaws, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs started moving away from the battle, but Harry stepped forward, a mutinous look on his face. "Nico, we are not going to let them you fight them alone! You are one of us now and… LOOK OUT!"

Nico spun on his heels, reflexes born from battle experience kicking in, as a single Hunter attacked him from his right. His eyes took in how she moved with her hunting knives drawn and his mind supplied him with the counter. First he sidestepped her. The moment he was on her side, he delivered a sweeping kick to the back of her left knee, instantly removing her ground connection. The kick was followed by punch to the face and the Hunter was out cold before she even hit the ground.

"One down… twenty-five more to go." Nico took a quick look around, and, to his dismay, saw some of the Hunter who had been unconscious appear. "Or something like that." He looked at Harry and their friends again. "I appreciate your concern, but this isn't your battle. And to be frank, this is out of your league. If you will stay, you will not only be outnumbered, but you will also find yourself in a duel with powers you barely grasp or can hope to match."

The words had barely left his mouth when Thalia stepped through the Hellfire, which had died down to barely twenty centimetres, shrouded in lightning and completely unharmed, eyes and mouth set in grim determination. And she wasn't alone. Erica and more than twenty Hunters stood behind her, all of them having weapons at the ready.

Neville shuddered. Thalia and Erica might not match Nico's energy levels when separate, but Thalia still came awfully close to the one of Jason and Nico. And Neville remembered all too well the fight between Nico and Jason and the friends of the latter. This battle might very quickly turn just as destructive if Thalia abilities were anything to go by, and Neville would hate being anywhere near that. Plus, against an opponent like Thalia, they would only be in Nico's way. Neville was confident their newest friend could take on Thalia and her Hunters, but he would need his full focus for that. If they stayed, he would be worrying about their safety and as such wouldn't be able to fight with all of his powers.

The Herbology genius looked around. Hagrid was waiting for them with the other students, begging them with his eyes to get out of there before the fight started. He looked at the other Gryffindors, but before he could say anything, Ron spoke up.

"Guys, Nico is right. We are in over our heads here. If it wasn't for their leader and her right-hand, we might be able to take on some of them, but no matter how I look it, we are only going to be in the way." He held up his hands, stopping whatever protests Harry and Hermione had. "I don't want to leave him either, but in this situation…" he looked at Nico. "I'm sorry Nico."

Nico shook his head. "No, Ron, you are right. In this situation, this is the best teamwork and help you can offer. Now, go. Go!"

Harry and Hermione still looked mutinous, but then Hermione let out a strangled cry and kissed Nico on the lips. "You come back alive, you hear me?! You come back!"

Nico gave a weak nod and a smile. "I will Hermione, I… get down!"

Some of the Hunters apparently thought they had talked long enough, for a small volley of deadly arrows was suddenly flying at them. Nico reacted fast. He held out his right hand and the handle of a weapon shot from the shadows on the ground, quickly followed by the rest of the weapon. Nico moved the weapon from right to left in one fast gliding motion, channelling his power into the weapon. The result: A powerful gust of wind blew the arrows away, and though it wasn't anywhere as powerful as the first one, it was still powerful enough to send the arrows flying back towards the Hunters, forcing most of them to duck.

It was a strange weapon to say the least. The handle was wrapped in black bandages, but the really strange thing, in Ron's opinion at least, was the large piece of metal that appeared to sprout from the staff part of the weapon. It had the form of a gourd or with a little imagination, a snowman. It was large enough to shield Nico's torso and Ron could see a couple of runes engraved into the metal, though he didn't knew what they said.

"Nico, what the hell is that?"

The son of Hades opened his mouth, but Hermione answered the question for him. "It is a Japanese war fan, a gunbai. It was used by Japanese samurai officers to signal their troops or ward of arrows. And those runes… 'Dark' and 'Wind'… Nico, was this your research? Forging another weapon that can generate strong winds?"

Nico chuckled. "Something like that. Why, are you going to tell Umbridge?"

Hermione let out a huff. "Of course not."

Nico let out a chuckle and gave her a wry smile. "Good to hear. Now, get to out of here. Go."

His girlfriend gave him one last sad look before nodding. "Be careful Nico."

With that the Gryffindors hurried towards Hagrid, leaving Nico to fully focus on the Hunters. He didn't know why, but he had expected Harry and the others to protest a bit more. 'Well, there will be plenty of time to ponder that later. For now, I better keep my head in the game. Okay, step one: Draw them further into the woods.'

He looked up at the Hunters. "Time to get this show on the road. Give it your best shot… you will need it to even put a scratch on me."

The provocation worked. All of the Hunters fired at him. This time, he didn't blow away the arrows. Instead, he Shadow Travelled behind their lines. "You will have to do better than that. Come and get me!"

With that he tore deeper into the Dark Forest. But he managed to hear Thalia bark out an order. "Phoebe, Erica! Get out sisters back on their feet. The rest of you, split up into groups of four. Find Nico, but do not engage him in a fight. Wait for me to catch up with you. Scatter!"

The chase was on.

11111

Nico rested against an old uprooted tree, mentally cursing his luck. He had led the Hunters of Artemis deeper into the forest for two reasons: One was to get the battle further away from Hogwarts; the second was in the hope that he could lead a squad or two to the Romans. That way, the Romans could deal with them, and he could conserve his energy. But the Romans had left the forest and Nico remembered his meeting with Jason. The praetor had talked about getting an apartment or two for his team and eventual reinforcements. From the looks of it, he had finally gotten one and moved to Hogsmeade. It was unfortunate for Nico, as it meant that he would have to face more Hunters, but so far he hadn't had much of a challenge.

He closed his eyes, ignoring the moaning and groaning of the wounded Hunters a few feet from him. Splitting up had been their mistake. They were on his home turf now, among the shades of the forest. So far he had been able to take them down with little effort, but he hadn't fought Thalia for real yet, taking off every time she approached. It wasn't because he was afraid of her, not by a long shot, but something was bugging him.

It was what Erica had said about them needing him to come back and stopping his father's madness. What was that supposed to mean? Had his father done something? No, that couldn't be. For that would mean he cared about him, but that couldn't be, could it? After all, he had always said Bianca could do things better and quicker than Nico could. Admittedly, their relationship had improved since the Titan War, but the idea that Hades would go on a rampage simply because he was missing was laughable.

'Erica was probably just trying to mess with your head, di Angelo. Yeah, that is probably it.' Still, her words kept nagging him. That was also the reason he hadn't aimed to kill yet, though he had come damn close a few times. 'Guess I will just have to-whoa!'

Nico opened his eyes and moved just in time as five arrows struck where his arms had just been. 'Okay girls, let's dance.'

Gunbai in hand, he made a beeline for the group of Hunters. Two of them stepped back, aiming their arrows while the other three ran at him, knives drawn. Nico smirked as he nimbly ducked under the first two arrows, pivoted around the first melee Hunter before he smashed the flat side of his war fan into the chest and face of second, instantly knocking her down. He blocked the third Hunter's sword and kicked her in the stomach. The two arches shot again, but Nico swatted the arrows away with his new weapon, before bringing it around to clash with the one he dodged to begin with. Its edges hit the Hunter in the stomach and left side, and she fell to the ground, a look of shock on her face.

The fan's edges were no longer razor sharp, having dulled during the merge, but they could still do considerable damage when swung with enough force. Another drawback was that after taking the form of the gunbai, it would have to 'cool down' before it could transform back to the bo-staff again. Nico didn't know how long that would take, but he assumed that once the second merge was complete, the cool down time would be considerably longer. But now wasn't the time for thinking about that. Now was the time for taking down Hunters of Artemis.

The one he initially smacked down and the one he kicked were back on their feet, but not for long. They both came at him at the same time, but it didn't matter. He blocked both of their swords with his war fan, and before they could attack again, he counterattacked. He pushed one away and caught her when she was unbalanced. The war fan connected with her head and she crumbled to the ground.

Nico turned, just as another group of Hunters appeared.

The last melee fighting Hunter saw her chance. "You are wide open! Never take your eyes of the one you are fighting!"

One swipe with her sword and the war fan left Nico's hands. Then she made a thrust for his left leg. Unfortunately for her, the moment she started the attack was the moment Nico counterattacked. His right foot connected with the wrist holding her sword, and before she got over the initial shock, Nico twisted her fresh arm and moved her in front of him, using her as a shield, just as the two and the newly arrived group fired.

Cries of pain and outrage rang out through the trees, then, silence. Nico chuckled as he released the Hunter, who was now sprouting seven arrows, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Thanks for the advice; it was most helpful. Here is a few for you: Never underestimate your opponent, don't take the obvious bait and always keep your allies in mind."

All of the Hunters took aim, fury in their eyes and voices. "You monster! You will pay for this!"

It happened in a flash. Nico thrust out his hand and the shadows from the trees behind the Hunters of Artemis lashed out and up, wrapped themselves around their necks and throats and kept rising until the girls were dangling several feet above the ground, gasping for breath as they clawed at the shadows to release them.

The son of Hades glowered at them before picking up his gunbai. "Save your breath… You are going to need it. And I'm not the one to blame for your situation. Thalia's orders were clear: Do not engage me in a fight. More importantly, you wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't attacked my sister. Tell me, why shouldn't I kill you right now?"

"Because I won't let you!"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Nico saw something red coming towards with great speed. Without giving it much more thought, he simply raised his war fan, blocking it. Though, he did notice that it was a jet of light, meaning it was spell. "I thought I told you to leave…"

But the son of Hades trailed off when he saw who had shot the spell. Erica stood on Thalia's left side, a wand trained right at him. On Thalia's right stood Phoebe, the Hunters' number one tracker and healer. The daughter of Zeus herself was shrouded in lightning, and when she took in the scene, the son of Hades saw shock, disbelief and anger flash across her face in quick succession. But it was only the anger that came across in her voice.

"Nico… release them."

The Ghost King inclined his head, but then he simply shrugged. "As you wish." A wave of his hand, and the shadows choking the Hunters retreated, making the girls fall to the ground in an undignified way, gasping for air. "There. Happy?"

The Lieutenant of Artemis didn't even dignify that with a response. Instead, she addressed their healer. "Phoebe, Loreen needs your full attention." The healer and tracker instantly went to the Hunter who had gotten hit by the arrows from her sister-in-arms, the son of Hades not moving a muscle to stop her as she gently dragged the severely wounded girl away. The moment she was gone, Thalia spoke again. "The rest of you: Find and round up our sisters and return to camp. Erica… you stay."

Her second-in-command just nodded, wand still trained on Nico. Then the three of them went into motion. Small arcs of concentrated lightning flew from Thalia, moving faster than the jets of light fired by Erica. Nico waved his hand, causing the lightning to collide with a wall of darkness while using his war fan to block the incoming spells. Once the last jet of light hit, he went on the offensive. He drew his own wand and made slashing movement with it, causing a fine line of fire to form in the air. Barely had it appeared, before he swung the gunbai, creating a massive burst of wind that in turn fuelled the fire, causing an orange wave of blazes to roll towards the Hunters like a train of orange, yellow and red death and destruction. Neither moved, both becoming engulfed in the wave of burning destruction. When the fire died down, not counting the trees that had been turned to ashes and set ablaze, both girls stood perfectly unharmed. Thalia shrouded in lighting, while Erica stood behind a powerful force-field that flickered for a brief moment before disappearing completely.

'Impressive, Thalia. You used your Electrokinesis to create a shield of lightning, protecting you from the fire. I guess I shouldn't be surprised… you survived on your own alongside Luke long before coming to Camp.'

Nico turned his eyes towards Erica. "So… you are a witch. I must admit, I'm surprised. Am I right in assuming that that is how you found Hogwarts?"

Erica kept her wand at him. "More or less. I knew of its existence, though not of its location."

"And I assume Artemis knows about your… heritage?" You see, I was under the impression the gods had sworn never to interfere with the Wizard World again."

This time, Erica gave a slightly nervous nod. "Of course she knows. Lady Artemis told me all about what went down when Hogwarts was founded and the agreement of the gods. Which is why I have never drawn my wand since joining the Hunters: As long as I only did simple nonverbal and wandless magic, I could pass for simply being another child of Hecate. Besides, Lady Artemis follows her own rules and doesn't discriminate. As long the girl's heart is pure, she is welcomed among our ranks."

Nico frowned, mulling over her words. He hadn't detected any signs of her lying, plus, Artemis was known for doing what she saw fit. But before he could speak up, Thalia turned to Erica.

"Wait. Are you saying Lady Artemis knew of the wizard world when she sent us to hunt and slay a Dementor? You knew?"

Erica nodded. "Yes, of course she did. And yes, I knew, but I don't question Lady Artemis' judgement. I'm guessing that she wanted to test how our weapons work against the Wizarding world's monsters. Or perhaps she just wanted to test how we well we would fare against monsters of nature and stupidity of men."

Thalia frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Her second-in-command let out a weary sigh. "Remember when we killed off some of those spiders? How Phoebe and the others were confused when they didn't burst to dust?" Thalia nodded, confusion on her face. "The reason for that is rather simple actually. The monsters of your world are all offspring or creations of divine or chaotic beings that in turn had offspring. For instance, there can be several small Hydras running around, despite the fact that there is only one Hydra mentioned in the legends. Also, it is their connection to the divine or chaotic that allows them to reform in Tartarus."

Thalia's frown deepened. "So they are descendants of the mythological monsters?"

Erica shook her head. "No. Some of the monsters of the Wizarding world are the result of natural evolution, though they are rare. Most of them, however, are the results of experiments and wizards trying to recreate the monsters of myth, thus them being of flesh and blood. I'm assuming our weapons work against them because of the magic in them." Her gaze turned towards Nico. "But enough with the history lesson. Thalia, we need to take him down. We came here to rescue him, despite it not being our mission to begin with, and he repays us by severely wounding our sisters."

Nico chuckled. "So that is what it boils down to, huh? I'm not allowed to get angry when my sisters are attacked and taken from me, but when I attack the offenders, you freak out. And rescue mission? Please, spare me for your self-righteous rubbish; you aren't fooling me or anyone else. You didn't come here out of the goodness of your hearts. You wouldn't be in England if it wasn't to slay one of those Dementors. And you definitely wouldn't be here at Hogwarts to 'rescue' me, if you didn't think it was a good opportunity to show up Percy, me and other male heroes."

He chuckled again upon seeing their shocked expressions, telling him he hit the nail on the head. Thalia regarded him for a long moment, before sighing sadly. "Nico… I see a lot of Luke in you… both the good… and the bad. Luke was one of the kindest boys I knew, but he got blinded by his anger and hatred. It changed him, and he endangered all of the people I cared about. I cannot let that happen again. Especially because of how powerful you are." She drew her spear from her Mace canister and twisted her bracelet, causing her copy of Aegis to come forth. "Nico, I will defeat you and bring you back to Chiron and Camp. But first, I will settle the score you have with the Hunters of Artemis."

Erica's eyes went wide. "Thalia, this is my fight too!"

The daughter of Zeus shook her head. "No, Erica. This is my fight. It takes a child of the Big Three to battle another child of the Big Three. You are a skilled fighter and probably a powerful witch, but you don't have the element of surprise on your side anymore. Furthermore, whatever advantage your abilities as a witch might have given you are gone as well. As Nico just displayed, he has been training in that art as well, and even found a way to combine sorcery with his own skills. You are outclassed… just like our sisters. I told them not to engage him in a fight because I knew they wouldn't be a match for him." She let out a weary sigh." Besides, as the Lieutenant of Artemis, it is my job to deal with people who have complaints or problems with us Hunters." She looked directly at Erica. "This is an order: Do not interfere."

The second-in-command gave a tight nod. She didn't like it, but she wouldn't go against a direct order. "Understood."

The lieutenant gave a weak smile. "I will be fine Erica. We will settle our rivalry soon, I promise. This fight will be over quick. After all, this lightning shroud does more than protect me." She turned to Nico. "I'm ready. If you think you can take me on… give it your best shot."

Erica nodded. It was true, she knew; the lighting armour did more than just protect her against attacks. But she also knew what Thalia was leaving out: There was a limit as to how long she could keep it up. And more importantly, there was the drawback to consider. Joining the Hunters of Artemis came with one more price that few knew of, and it was of outmost importance for demigods to know it: They might stop aging and they might be immortal, but much like it was theorized that the Lotus Casino halted, or at least stalled your growth in power and energy reservoir, it was a known fact that joining the Hunters meant that your natural powers and energy levels would stop growing from the moment you was accepted. In other words, Thalia might think up new tricks, but her power or energy level would never get higher. That was a side effect of becoming immortal.

But she didn't get to ponder it more, for at that moment, the two cousins went into action. Thalia ran forward, her speed having increased further with the lightning armour. But Nico was ready for a straightforward attack. Once more, Black Hellfire sprung to life in his hand, and he quickly inhaled it before exhaling. The torrent of flames hit Thalia right and despite not as concentrated, thus less explosive than the last round, but it was still deadly and the flames engulfed Thalia with a roar.

But then the arcs of lightning flew from the black inferno, heading right for the son of Hades who cursed and ducked out of the way of the fast moving rays. And after seeing them blast through a few trees, he was glad he did.

'Whew,' Nico thought 'that was a close one. If I had been a little slower- whoa!'

He barely got his gunbai up to intercept the spear being aimed for his shoulder. Mentally cursing, he aimed a swing for his cousin's head, no longer coated in lighting, but it got blocked by Aegis, and Nico couldn't help but flinching back from the horrible visage of Medusa. Growling, he blocked a swipe for his side, but then had to dodge a small arc of lightning coming right for his head. Unfortunately, that was all the distraction Thalia needed, and she slammed the shield into his chest and lip, making him stumble backwards. Regaining his balance, Nico wiped a smudge of blood away from his mouth.

'Heh, whoever said taking on another child of the Big Three is boring? Each of us has not just unique powers; we also have our own fighting styles and ways to use our powers. Percy prefers getting into melee combat and uses his powers to turn the tide of the battle… quite literally. Jason too prefers getting in close combat, but will use big finishing moves from a distance. Thalia got a higher mastery of lightning than Jason, but she has no big end game moves. Sure, she can call down lightning bolts, but they are not nearly as powerful as the ones of Jason's. Instead, she focuses more on using lightning and electricity for defence and to distract her opponent, creating an opening. Hazel controls the earth and precious minerals, be it gems or metal, and though not all that trained with her powers, she can use them to unbalance her enemy or disarm them. She lacks destructive power and stamina, but her abilities allow her to form the battleground into her advantage. As for me: I prefer to end it before the fight can become a reality, meaning ending the fight with my powers before it even starts.' His eyes darted over to Erica, before going back to Thalia. 'Unfortunately, I can't do that right now. I need to conserve my energy, just in case she decides to go against Thalia's orders.'

He was brought out of his strategy planning when Thalia attacked again. She jabbed her spear for his middle, but he parried it with the gunbai, before slashing at his cousin. Thalia blocked it with her spear and pushed Aegis right in Nico's face, forcing him to step back. Growling, Nico lunged again and again, but he couldn't get too close because and make a perfect strike because of the shield.

'This is getting annoying. Because of that damn visage of Medusa on Aegis, I can't get any… wait… that is it! All I need to do is… Ack!'

He had tried skirting around Thalia, but the moment he had moved in for the attack, Thalia had crouched down and brought up Aegis, causing him to flinch back mid-step, unbalancing him. And this time, she got a hit in. It wasn't a deep or critical wound, but the spear tip still hit him in his left side, going right through his armour.

Cursing, and panting slightly, the son of Hades backed up, holding a hand to his injured side. Thalia rose to her full height, taking a defensive position that would allow her to go on the offence in the blink of an eye. When she spoke, her voice was tense and slightly angry.

"Give it up, Nico! You already tried killing me, and your trick failed! With my lightning armour and Aegis, you can't defeat me. Luke could never defeat me, and he knew me better than anyone. And he was a better swordsman than you are."

Nico glowered. "True, Luke knew you better than I do, and was a better swordsman than I could probably ever hope to be. But, I'm not fighting with a sword… I'm fighting with a gunbai, a war fan; it is two very different weapons and fighting styles, and so far, I have only been testing this new fan of mine. And it's true, Luke never bested you. I hear you kicked him off a cliff once. Yeah, I heard all about that. You used Aegis to push him, a lot like just did with me. But I'm not Luke. Luke never had my abilities, and as such, couldn't counter Aegis and its effects."

Thalia frowned. "Counter Aegis? I would like to see you try."

The Ghost King straightened, making sure the bleeding had stopped. "I won't just try, I will succeed. The real fight begins now."

With that he lunged at Thalia once more, swinging his war fan right for Thalia's head like if it was an axe. The daughter of Zeus brought up Aegis, letting out a small grunt from the impact when the gunbai hit. Growling, she pushed with all her might, pushing both the weapon and Nico away. But she didn't get a respite, for Nico immediately moved in for another round. She held up her shield, right in Nico's face, blocking the war fan. What she wasn't prepared for, however, was Nico kicking her in the stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of her. Gasping for breath, she backed up, keeping a defensive pose. Nico advanced, slowly this time, a smirk on his face. She held up her shield once more, but got a shock when he didn't halt his advance.

'What is going on? Why isn't he stopping and flinching back?'

"Thalia, your shield! Watch your shield!"

Her second-in-command's shout didn't make much sense to her, and it only aggravated her. She knew not to lower her shield, damn it. She was about to yell at her, but then she saw the shadows dancing across her shield. 'Wait, what?'

She twisted her arm a little to get a better view of the front of her shield. Once she took it, she felt blood drain from her face, and Nico's smirk and steady advance suddenly made more sense.

'Nico… when did you…' Her eyes widened and she stared at her cousin in shock. "Don't tell me…"

The Ghost King chuckled. "Yes. I did during the first blow after I said the real fight begins now. Aegis true power lies in the visage of Medusa: Anyone who sees it will recoil back and cower in fear. However, that effect will only happen if one looks at the image. One obviously can't close his eyes during battle, but there are other ways, for me at least, to get around that minor inconvenience." He chuckled, but it was a cold one. "I guess my words earlier were inaccurate. The real begins now… but it will be the real fight for you."

Thalia narrowed her eyes, taking her eyes from the shadows covering her shield in a thick layer, obscuring the image of Medusa's face beneath, opting to glare at her cousin instead. She had contemplated blowing the shadows away from her shield with lightning, but knowing the son of Hades, some sort of booby trap was like to be sprung if she tried that. The smell of ozone filled the air and Thalia's shroud of lightning flared to life once more.

"Don't underestimate me, Nico!"

With that she raised her spear and a lightning bolt split the sky, hit her spear like a lightning rod before flying towards the Ghost King. It would have hit the son of Hades, if not for the solid wall of shadow that rose in front of him. He dropped the shadow shield, and spoke in a calm voice.

"There is a reason I'm called the Prince of Shadows at Camp Half-Blood, Thalia Grace. And now… it's my turn."

Black Hellfire sprang to life in his right hand, and the ball of blazing destruction was thrown at the daughter of the King of Gods with great accuracy. But as if that wasn't enough, the moment Nico deemed it close enough, he swung the gunbai, creating a new gust of wind, giving the Black Hellfire extra fuel, and the lieutenant once more found herself engulfed in a raging inferno.

"I'm not done yet!"

Nico inhaled, before exhaling with pursed lips, releasing a stream of flames. Except, this time the fire wasn't black. Instead, they were blue-greyish in colour. Not that it really mattered to Erica, as she saw the blue-greyish blazes mix with the black ones, creating a true raging inferno.

She had hoped at finding at opening to help Thalia, but when they had started fighting, it had become clear she had no place in that fight. She felt her legs tremble and a pearl of sweat run down her cheeks, even as the flames subsided. 'Is… is this the power of the Big Three's children? They are really something else… a completely different level.'

The inferno died down, revealing Thalia still clad in her armour of lightning. Erica heaved a sigh of relief. But then the lightning shroud flickered for a few seconds, before disappearing completely, leaving the daughter of Zeus panting and glaring at Nico. Then, she let out a groan and her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell to the ground.

"Thalia!"

Nico turned his head, giving the second-in-command a cold look. "You want to dance too? Be my guest… I've got plenty of energy to spare. But stick around… and your turn will come soon enough."

With that he walked over to where Thalia lay, extinguishing the flames as he went. The moment he reached her, he rolled her onto her back with his foot.

"Well, well. Looks like you are beaten, cousin. How did you like my Ghost Fire? Can't move? Yes, Ghost Fire tends to do that to you. The breath of the dead is cold and deadly, but when I give it forms and ignite it, its potency is drastically increased. It doesn't have the same reach as my Black Hellfire, neither can I use it in other ways than what I just did… but still, it is more than enough, seeing how it burns your life force, if only temporarily. Now then…" he hefted his war fan. "Should I show you the same kind of mercy you and others showed my sister?"

Thalia couldn't move. She was freezing, and she had used up almost all of her energy as not to be done in by Nico's last trick. Now, of course, she realized that had been his plan all along. He wanted her to use up all of her energy, leaving her defenceless and completely at his mercy. And from her position, she got the feeling that Nico could still fight. 'Nico… just… how powerful have you become?'

Then his words registered, throwing her for a loop. Then she grew angry. "For the last time, I don't know what you are talking about!"

Nico's eyes narrowed, his anger rising. "Still you deny it? Do not mock me, Thalia! You, the Hunters of Artemis and Annabeth fought alongside each other near Berkeley Hills, didn't you?!"

Thalia's eyes went wide with shock. "How did you know…?" Suddenly all the pieces fell into place. "Oh my gods… the girl we fought… the one they threw that Greek fire bomb at… it was your sister."

Nico's eyes went wide, but they turned scarlet as he narrowed his gaze. "You… attacked my sister… with Greek fire?! You attacked my little sister with Greek fire?!"

Thalia's eyes widened even more; she hadn't realized she had spoken those words out loud. "Nico… please listen to me! I-!"

But it was too late. Nico was far too gone in his rage. "IT IS TOO LATE FOR EXPLANATIONS AND APOLOGIES! YOU ATTACKED MY SISTER! NOW YOU DIE!"

Time seemed to slow down. Nico raised his gunbai before bringing it down, aiming for Thalia's head with the intention to kill.

"Nico, stop!"

Arms wrapped around his torso, and a force slammed into his back. Something wet touched his neck. "Nico… please… stop."

Turning his head ever so slightly, his scarlet eyes bore looked into the tearful brown ones of his girlfriend. "Hermione… they attacked my sister… they almost killed her!"

Hermione nodded against his back, eyes never leaving his. Harry, Ron and her had snuck back once the class had reached the border of the forest. They had both been worried about Nico fighting that many opponents by himself. But the trail they of defeated Hunters they had found made them question the wisdom of continuing deeper into the forest in search of their friend. In the end, Harry had convinced her that they should continue. As he said, just because he had defeated those Hunters didn't mean he might not need help. Especially, as Harry reasoned, if he went up against Thalia. The sounds of battle and explosions had guided them the rest of the way, but what they had found had terrified Hermione more than when Nico lost control after the Boggarts.

They had found Nico standing over Thalia, weapon raised to deal a fatal blow. And they could feel the anger pouring off him, and Hermione had realized that Nico, in his rage, was going to kill the other girl. She couldn't let that happen. That boy standing there, ready to end another person's life so ruthlessly, it wasn't the boy she had fallen for. Her heart couldn't take it if her boyfriend turned into the Boggart version of him: A person corrupted by his immense power. That is why she had stomped on Harry's foot, when he tried holding her back, before running forward and embracing her boyfriend from behind.

"I know Nico, I know. But please… don't kill them! You have already proven that you are stronger than they are, so please… please don't kill them!"

Nico turned his gaze towards the girl lying at her his feet. "And why shouldn't I, Hermione? They robbed me off one sister, and now they have tried killing my second. Why shouldn't I kill them? I cannot forget the pain they have brought me, much less forgive them."

Hermione tightened her grip. "Because it is wrong, Nico! It is just as wrong as them attacking your sister! Two wrongs don't make a right! Please don't sink to their level, please! You sisters wouldn't want you to become a murderer! I… I wouldn't want you to become a murderer because of their actions. Seeing you like this… it breaks my heart! This is not the boy I fell for! You have proved your point… so please, I beg you… don't kill them!"

Silence reigned for almost a minute. Nobody moved from their spots, no one dared as to twitch. Then, Nico lowered his gunbai, his eyes returning to their normal black. He turned and wrapped an arm around Hermione in a hug, her burying her face in his chest. When he spoke, his voice was soft, but all present heard it clearly

"Hermione… you have a kind heart. One of the kindest and most righteous ones I've ever come across. I guess that is what drew me to you. Seeing you like this… it pains me. And bringing you pain is the last thing I want." He turned his head to look at Thalia. "Leave. Leave, and let me never as much sense the presence of you and the Hunters ever again." Eyes softening, he looked at Hermione. "Let's get out of this forest and back to the castle."

With that he turned them both around and started walking away, ignoring Erica hurrying to Thalia's side. But they both stopped when Thalia called out to them.

"Hermione Granger… thank you."

Hermione whirled around faster than what Harry believed to be healthy for her neck and spine. Her face was furious, and so was her voice. "Do not thank me. I didn't do it for your sake. I did it because I don't want my boyfriend to become a murderer because of some stupid tramps." She took a deep breath. "If you ever come near Nico again, he won't get to you first. I will use every jinx, hex and curse I know on you, and then some."

Had Hermione made that threat towards Harry and Ron, they would have run as fast as they could. But, Harry mused, compared to Nico's, Hermione's threat wasn't that much. After all, it wasn't Hermione who had caused the great destruction they had seen. But the two girls apparently took her threat to heart, or perhaps it was just because Nico was there, but Thalia bowed her head.

"I understand."

Harry and Ron cautiously made their way over to where Nico and Hermione was standing, keeping an eye on the Hunters as Erica hauled Thalia into a standing position, the lieutenant leaning heavily on her shoulders. As Ron and Harry got over to them, Nico spoke without looking back.

"Thalia… one last thing. Seeing how his little group hasn't come running during our little dance, I assume that means your brother, Jason, is in Hogsmeade. Erica should be able to take you there."

Thalia's breath hitched. "My brother… that is a low blow, di Angelo, and you know it! What do even know about my brother anyway! My brother… he is dead… he died years ago."

Ron spoke up; shocked he hadn't seen the resemblance sooner. "Tall blond dude with sky blue eyes? Has a little scar on the corner of his lip?"

Thalia's eyes went wide. "The scar on his lip… how did you…"

Harry answered. "One month ago, we were visiting Hogsmeade. A guy named Jason interrupted us having meeting and identified himself as Nico's cousin. He said that he hadn't come to fight Nico, but would like to talk. Then they left."

Nico nodded, though he didn't look over his shoulder. "You heard it from two others now, Thalia. Harry and Ron rarely lie, and when they try, they usually fail miserably. Go to Hogsmeade, don't go to Hogsmeade… I don't care where you go, as long as you get out of my sight."

With that they walked away, ignoring Thalia shouting after them. Nico knew she probably would have tried running after them, demanding answers, but neither Erica nor her body was going to allow her to run any time soon. Once they were out of earshot, Nico turned to face Hermione.

"I thought I told you to leave me to fight alone? Have you any idea how dangerous things could have gotten for you? What if you had come during the fight? Hermione, you could have been caught in the crossfire… you could have been killed! And you-!" He turned his gaze towards the two boys. "You let her!" Then his eyes softened. "But I'm glad you let her come. Thanks to her, I was reminded of my sisters and their kindness… their innocence. While I'm not innocent, it would not be right of me to destroy your innocence as well. Thank you."

Ron let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. They hadn't seen Nico's fight, but they had seen the aftermath. Ron didn't like his odds against Nico and when he had turned his attention on him and Harry after scolding Hermione, the redhead was quite nervous about them being on the receiving end of Nico's wrath. But now that he knew Nico wasn't about to blast them, he relaxed… or as relaxed as one could be in the presence of a teenager in battle gear in the Forbidden Forest.

"Don't mention it mate. Say… where did you get that fan thingy? I doubt it would be something you just stumble upon here at Hogwarts."

Nico glanced at his friends, then his gunbai. A small mischievous smile spread across his face. "I made it myself, Ron. Umbridge broke my sword, but I can't really fight effectively without a weapon, so I reused the metal. And thanks to Transfiguration, Ancient Runes, Charms, Room of Requirement and my own blacksmith skills."

Harry whistled. "Impressive Nico." He looked forward. "We will soon be out of the Forest… Nico, you know that you can't show up at the castle with that weapon, right? Umbridge will just confiscate it."

The son of Hades frowned before letting out a sigh. "Ah yes. Can't let that happen." Ron and Harry both stared as he pushed his weapon into the ground, the weapon vanishing into his shadow. "There. Now it is safe until I will need it again."

Harry looked at him, slightly unsettled. "What makes you think you will need it again?" Silence. "No… don't tell… are you expecting more of your cousins to visit?"

Nico chuckled darkly. "Only one. But he is also the strongest one. I have never beaten him in a fight with all powers allowed."

At the moment, Harry was very happy he wasn't eating or drinking, because Nico's words would have made him choke. Someone Nico had never beaten was coming to Hogwarts? Someone more powerful than Nico... at their school? If Nico hadn't said it himself, Harry would have laughed at the mere suggestion of a boy more powerful than Nico. But after what he had just seen, and what Nico had just said, Harry didn't find it even remotely funny. But the Boy-Who-Lived figured that his friend didn't want to talk about a likely upcoming battle with a powerful cousin, so he changed the subject, if only slightly.

"Nico… you do realize that there are going to be plenty of rumours about you, right? Even more than before even."

The son of Hades frowned, the shrugged. "Probably. But I doubt the rumours can be worse than what people have said about me in the past."

Harry sighed. Their friend clearly didn't understand what people would make of this situation. Then again, he hadn't let the rumours going on about him being a Parselmouth and what happened after the Boggarts bother him, making Harry wonder just what kind of rumours he had been subject to… or if he was just hiding it. Deciding to change the subject, again, Harry spoke again.

"We better get you back to the castle and warmth before you freezes to death." As if to prove his point, he placed a hand on Nico's upper arm, but he quickly removed it again. "Jesus. Your skin is ice cold. You need to see Madam Pomfrey."

Nico raised an eyebrow, before letting out a small sigh. He had learned a long time ago to heat his skin as to not raise suspicion, and it happened automatically these days, but when he was fighting, that energy was pulled to where it was needed and was of most use, meaning in the fight.

"Don't worry about it, Harry. I'm fine."

Harry raised his eyebrows, giving him a disbelieving look. He couldn't believe someone was more opposed to going to the Hospital Wing than he was. But that soon changed when he laid eyes on the wound on Nico's side. "You are hurt. Damnit, Nico, why didn't you say so earlier? Now you risk it being infected. That's it; we are you to Madam Pomfrey right now."

Nico scowled. "I have had a lot worse, trust me. I will be fine."

But just as he said that, the wound started throbbing from the cold, causing him to wince. Hermione rolled her eyes, a small smile on her lips. "Come on, Nico. Either you go to Madam Pomfrey, or we bring Madam Pomfrey to you once we get to the castle. It is your choice."

Nico stared at his girlfriend. "That's… but that is... blackmail." Hermione just kept smiling. Then he let out sigh. "Fine, I will go see Madam Pomfrey. Happy?"

Hermione nodded. "Very happy."

Ron snickered. "Nico, mate, she got you whipped."

Nico glowered, but his voice held no sting. "Shut it."

Hermione chuckled as Harry and Ron kept teasing Nico all the way out of the forest. Despite what had just happened, she was happy to see that her boys were still acting like normal boys. Still, she was worried what the future held for them.

00000

Jason cursed softly as he tried warming his hands on his cup of hot chocolate inside the Three Broomsticks. They had finally gotten an apartment in this wizard town, Hogsmeade, and if all went well, their reinforcements would arrive in London later today. That was the good news. The bad news was who their reinforcements were, and why they were sent. One of his squad members had reported to the Senate about his stupor after their fight with Nico. It was true; he had been indecisive and passive since that night, though mostly passive. The revelation that his sister was alive and in all likelihood was one of Hazel's attackers had thrown him for a loop. And Nico's words from that afternoon still rang in his ears. '_She will have brought it upon herself_' and '_But if not, I promise I will at least take your love for your sister into consideration before I will deal out justice as I see fit._'

The last part didn't bring him any comfort. The praetor knew how things could go in the heat of battle, and thanks to the battle that night, he now also knew of his cousin's temper. If Nico got angry enough… there was not telling what would happen.

He had tried coming up with a solution that all parts could accept, all the while keeping an eye out for news on his sister being in Great Britain and keeping his squad in line, but he had found that he couldn't. No matter how he looked at it, things were likely to end in bloodshed.

And his worries for his sister, like what would happen to her if she came across Nico and if she was alright in general, had in turn made him fail at coming up with a plan to apprehend the elusive ambassador of Pluto, despite the pressure from his squad. And because of the report, the Senate now saw fit to send the Twelve Terrors to aid him. Jason snorted. Aid him… relieve him from command more like it. Whatever the case, it would mean Octavian could use it to make him lose face.

His hands tightened their grip on the mug. He knew it wasn't completely fair, but he couldn't help but blame Nico di Angelo for this whole mess. Life had been so much simpler before he met the kid. But ever since the son of Pluto showed his face at Camp Jupiter, it had been one problem after another. And just as he thought Nico couldn't surprise him anymore, he had dropped a bomb on him, putting him in the impossible situation of choosing between his duties and desire to protect his family.

"Damn you Nico di Angelo. Damn you to the deepest part of the Underworld… damn you."

"Excuse me young man, but may I join you?"

The praetor raised his eyes. It was strange, he mused, to be called young man. Back at Camp Jupiter, no one, with the possible exceptions of the Lares and Terminus would dare call him young man. To be seen and addressed as a normal teenager fresh out of school… it was strange. Still, the man standing before him was also strange… or at least his fashion sense was.

He had a pale and pointed face with cold grey eyes and long pale blond hair set in a ponytail with a black bow. His clothes were a thick black cloak with silver embroidering and what Jason guessed to be a wizard's dress robes. His team were currently at their apartment, setting up their stuff and seeing how he was alone at his table, there was plenty of space. Plus, seeing how the man had a walking stick, Jason would consider himself rude if he refused the man a place to sit.

"Of course Mr… sorry, what was your name again?"

"Malfoy. Lucius Malfoy."

Jason nodded. "Have a seat Mr Malfoy."

Lucius smiled. "Thank you. Most young ones today wouldn't be so polite. Can I have one Firewhiskey, please?" He added when Madam Rosmerta came to take his orders. She gave a nod and it wasn't long before he had the drink in his hand. "Now then, who are you my young friend?"

"Jason Grace.

"Well Mr Grace, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now… what is a fine young man like you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Jason took a sip of his chocolate. "I graduated Hogwarts last year. I just recently got an apartment here in Hogsmeade, just in time, for a couple of my cousins decided to pay me an unannounced visit."

Lucius smiled. "I'm not quite sure I believe you, Mr Grace. You see, I was on the Board of Governors a few years back. They have a list with all of Hogwarts students' names on it. And yours, Mr Grace, wasn't on the list."

Jason cursed his luck. His cover story had worked fine so far, but now it was the end of the line. "Fine, you caught me." He looked around, taking notice of the pub. "Since you caught me, how about a little honesty from your side as well? You didn't randomly pick to sit at my table, Mr Malfoy. There are plenty of free places at tables with people your own age. So why pick me?"

Lucius took a small sip of his beverage. The kid was observant, he would give him that. He would have to tread lightly. "You caught me as well, Mr Grace. I couldn't help but overhear you muttering curses against a certain boy. A certain boy named… Nico di Angelo."

Jason's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening a bit. "And what is it to you?"

The Malfoy head smiled. "Your problems with di Angelo are none of my concern. But we do seem to have a common goal: Nico di Angelo removed from Hogwarts."

Jason cocked an eyebrow. "And what gives you the impression that I want Nico removed from Hogwarts? Or a better question would be: Why do you want him removed?"

A dark look entered the man's eyes. "My son is currently at home, fearing for his life, after he played a harmless prank on di Angelo. Is that fair, Mr Grace? That a child fears for his life because he played a joke on a boy more powerful than him? And I'm sure you you've heard about di Angelo losing control after the little prank. Tell me, Mr Grace; is it fair to endanger a whole school of innocent children?"

Jason frowned. Sure, he had heard about Nico and the ruckus he had caused a little week ago. He just didn't know the details. Still… "No Mr Malfoy, that is fair at all." Lucius smiled, but Jason continued. "You haven't, however, answered my first question: What gives you the impression that I want him removed from Hogwarts?"

Lucius took another sip of his drink, an action mirrored by Jason, the boy never leaving the man's face. Meeting the boy's eyes, the Malfoy spoke in a calm voice. "A rather reliable source of mine reported that you met up with di Angelo and his friends in the Hog's Head a little month ago. According to him, you left the pub with di Angelo, but later returned, scowling and muttering curses about your cousin being too well protected at Hogwarts. Am I wrong?"

Jason stared for a long while, and then let out a sigh. "You are well informed, Mr Malfoy. I have a feeling you are going to propose a deal that somehow involve Nico being removed from Hogwarts, am I right?" The man gave a nod. "In that case, let me ask you: What is in it for you?"

Malfoy smiled. "Justice. I will help you getting Nico di Angelo away from Hogwarts. But as you imply, our help isn't for free."

Jason raised his eyebrows, noticing his team coming entering the pub. "'Our' help?"

Lucius gave a nod. "Indeed. Jason Grace, the organization I'm apart of is willing to help you, and all we want in return is for you to help us with a few tasks."

Jason narrowed his eyes. "And those tasks would be?"

Lucius looked around, before leaning in closer, his voice lowering to a whisper. "I can't say more here. But my organization stands for truth and justice, Mr Grace. But if all goes well, the Headmaster of Hogwarts' manipulations, and our Ministry's corruption will be over." His eyes and voice got pleading. "Please Mr Grace… we can't do it without your help. If you help us, you will not only get your cousin away from a fortress you can't penetrate, but you will also help our society to a better future, free of brainwashing and corruption. So I beg you… please help us."

Jason was torn. His team was now standing right behind him, having heard the last part of their conversation. On one hand, he wanted to handle the situation with Nico himself. And something, a small voice in the back of his head, told him not to trust Lucius' words. He hadn't been truthful with him at the beginning of their talk, but that had just been to get him to talk. On the other hand, Jason's last clashes with the so-called ambassador had shown him that he was going to need all the help he could get. Or at least help from someone in the Wizarding world. And besides, no one could fake a plea for help that well.

He looked at his team, but was met by impassive faces. He was their leader, and they expected him to act as such. He couldn't afford to look weak now, or all their faith in him would be lost. That couldn't happen. Not if they were to successfully complete their mission and bring Nico di Angelo and the Greeks to justice.

Justice. Jason had always had a strong sense for justice and fairness. He had never been able to turn a blind eye to injustice or unfairness, something that at times had given him a lot of problems before he became a praetor. And as praetor, he ruled out from those principles. He would do anything in his power to ensure justice and fairness prevailed. And now, this man was begging for help to bring an end to a society filled with corruption. And he had promised the help of an entire organization, if they would help them with a few tasks. And if they could help him in getting Nico away from the castle, making Jason's job much easier, who was Jason to complain? He got nothing to lose, but all to win as it meant that they might be able to solve the business with the Greeks sooner, which in turn would allow Jason more time to look for his sister.

Besides, he was desperate. Desperate to avoid further Nico becoming more of a threat, desperate to put an end to the conflict between the Romans and Greek… but more importantly, he was desperate to see his sister; desperate to know if she was safe. It was that desperation, his sense of justice and the fact that he couldn't afford to appear weak before team that was the driving factors for his decision.

"We will help you Mr Malfoy… and in turn, you will help us." Malfoy looked at him with hope and gratitude. "When can I meet the rest of your organization?"

Lucius Malfoy straightened up, the relieved and grateful smile never leaving his face. "Right away, my dear boy. My organization's head ensured that we could meet right away, if you accepted our proposal." He stood, hand going for one of his pockets. "Please, this way. No, don't worry about the bill. I will pay it." He placed a few gold coins on the table. "Now, please follow me."

Jason gave nod at his team. "You heard the man. Let's go." With that they followed Lucius Malfoy out of the pub. Once out on the street, Jason spoke again. "Mr Malfoy… how are we going to meet the head of your organization? Is he or she here in Hogsmeade?"

Lucius smiled pleasantly as he pulled a silver bracelet. "No. He is currently residing at my manor. This bracelet is a Portkey." Four confused faces met him, and he let out sigh. "Simply put, a Portkey is an object enchanted to bring you to a specific location. I won't bother you with the details of how it is made… you probably wouldn't understand if I did. But all you need to do is place a finger on this bracelet and when I touch it with my wand, we will be on our way to my manor." He gave them all a serious look. "We will land in my garden, and from there I will take you to meet my leader. I must warn you though: He has been a victim of corruption and torture, and as a result, his face has been heavily disfigured. Please try to refrain from mentioning it to him. Now, do you have any questions?"

Jason shook his head, putting a finger on the bracelet, his team following his lead. "Let's go Mr Malfoy. The sooner I can meet your organization's leader, the better."

Lucius Malfoy gave a tight nod before drawing his wand and placing it on the bracelet. Jason and his team felt a tug behind their navel as they were whisked away to meet the leader of Lucius Malfoy's organization that had been subjected to the corruption and brutality of the Ministry.

00000

Reyna stretched her legs. It had been a long trip, but she and the Twelve Terrors were finally here to assist Jason… or relieve him from it, all depending on how he would act when they found him. Frank's reports had disturbed her quite a bit. Her boyfriend, her fellow praetor, shocked into passiveness? It was not like him at all, and the praetor wondered for the umpteenth time what had gone down between her colleague/boyfriend and the ambassador of Pluto. But one thing was clear to her: They had grossly underestimated Nico di Angelo's prowess since the combined skills of Jason, Frank, Marcus and Mariana had been unable to capture the son of Pluto. But with the assistance of the reinforcements, capturing Nico di Angelo was guaranteed.

She had left Octavian in charge of their forces in New York, under strict orders not to scout further ahead or initiate any attacks against the Greeks until told otherwise by Reyna or attacked by the Greeks. An order she had given in front of all the senior centurions, meaning that there would be no going against said orders, leaving Reyna free to go with the reinforcements the Senate had deemed necessary.

Reyna shuddered as her thoughts turned to the reinforcements, The Twelve Terrors. To think that things had become so dire that they were called into action. They were the elites, perfect Roman soldiers… perhaps a little too perfect. They would obey any order given by the two praetors without hesitation, no matter how terrible: Even if it meant killing a fellow Roman. The two praetors just had to agree on the order.

The Twelve Terrors were the best of the best, the elite of the elite when it came to warfare. Everything from tracking, healing, and espionage, straight up battle or assignation… the Twelve Terrors could it all. One could wonder why they weren't sent on quests with their skills. The reason was simple: If a praetor ordered them to get the quest done at any cost, that was what they would do; even if it meant killing mortals and civilians. The praetors had to be very specific with their orders, or they would cause a massacre. And the worst part? They would do so without a bit of remorse.

The praetor sighed. The Twelve Terrors were the remnants of the cohort named Cohort X. A cohort with their own training, starting from the moment a child could walk and talk, that made their members kill their own emotions, allowing them to carry out any order or mission given by the praetors. Their training was inhuman, and the first thing Jason did when he became praetor, was shutting down the program. A move that at that time had made him very unpopular, but seen in retrospective, had been one of the best decisions ever made. The Cohort X might be elite soldiers, but they had no future. They could never be released into the normal world, for all they knew were battle and warfare. The Cohort X's members only purpose was to train to be soldiers of New Rome, to serve and fight as soldiers of New Rome, and die as soldiers of New Rome. Nothing less, nothing more.

Reyna sighed as twelve persons, four girls and eight boys, face obscured by their hoods, walked towards her and her automaton dogs, who had been very disgruntled about being stuck in normal dog transport boxes during the flight. But like the Twelve Terrors and four eagles they had brought as well, they would be essential in tracking down and restraining Nico di Angelo.

But first things first. First, they had to find Jason in Hogsmeade in Scotland and see how bad things were there. And then… they would hunt down Nico di Angelo, bring him in for questioning on the Greeks, and finally pass judgement on him for his crimes against Camp Jupiter.

End chapter 12.

**AN 2/2: Whew. This chapter turned out to be longer than what I first expected, despite having two pages of notes on it. **

**Sorry for introducing more OCs, but they will serve their purpose soon enough. Same goes for characters being OOC. **

**As Hermione explained, a gunbai is Japanese war fan. But it turned out to be too complex for me to describe. Here is a link so you can see what weapon I had in mind. **

** naruto . wikia wiki / Gunbai **

**The guy holding is Madara Uchiha from the manga Naruto, which belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I don't own Naruto, sadly, or things would have gone very differently. If the quality on the site is too bad for you, try Google, under images/pictures. Write: war fan Madara Uchiha.**

**Moving on**

**I had a very interesting exchange with one of my reviewers regarding my placement of Thalia on the list. I would like to underline, again, that the list is only a rough guideline for their placement in this story and to add that Thalia might be a bit of a wild card. **

**That being said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope it was worth the wait. Please tell me if you think I went overboard with the fight. I'm a fan of the manga/anime 'Naruto', and I draw inspiration to my fights from there. Though, I can promise you that they won't be anywhere near as destructive as the ones in Naruto. **

**That being said, to the reviewer mentioned above, I hope you, and others, think I did Thalia and her power justice. And as an extra treat, before I go into hiding from angry Jason and Thalia fans, so that I will survive to read 'House of Hades', even if it will probably be a few weeks before I get my copy, allow me to give you a little sneak peek on the next chapter.**

00000

"Annabeth, we need to talk. Right now... alone."

00000

"_This was not part of the agreement. This was not part of the plan!_"

"_Agreement? Plan? The only thing we agreed on was that Nico di Angelo was a hindrance to us. Besides, things might work out better this way… for me, at least._"

"_I don't know what you are planning, but remember this: We are in this together. If Hades finds out…_"

"_He won't._"

00000

"I don't like what you are implying, Annabeth."

"I don't like it either Percy, I really don't. But after what Thalia just told us, you must face the possibility that it might happen. As Camp's leader, your job is to protect Camp against any threat. Even if it means against a former friend… even if that friend is Nico."

"What, exactly, are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if Nico should turn against Camp… if he will come to see and treat Camp Half-Blood as his enemy… you will have to take him down. You are the only one who can."

00000

**That is all you get for now folks. Hope you enjoyed. *spots angry Jason fans and more approaching with pitchforks and torches.* Yikes, gotta go. Hope to see ya around for chapter 13 of 'Dark Phoenix' **

**Time for anonymous reviews. **

Random viewer 8/28/13. chapter 11

First of all, I'm impressed (and glad, naturally) that you address all the reviews individually.

I like that HermionexNico isn't used just for the sake of shipping, but that it does have some logical ground (Hermione seeming just the right person to comfort Nico), so I like the romance isn't overdone. Also, I'm glad you lampshaded Ron's jealousy. In regards to Ron, Nico may top Harry - a new cool guy who attracts attention of the school and even has his romance interest as a girlfriend. I'm not sure if you intend to focus on that aspect as well, but if you do, I'm interested in how it will end. Then again, you said HermionexNico is temporary, if I remember well, so it will probably be resolved well enough..

Likewise, I'm glad you don't leave out the scenes featuring the staff. It's always interesting to hear their opinions.

Beside that, I'd just like to warn you of a possible grammar mistake: "His eyes couldn't hide curiosity and weariness." Sounds a bit strange to me, perhaps you meant "wariness", as in, wary cautious, since weary tired. Sorry if I'm wrong and you really meant the other.

I read the AN you posted in another chapter about SOPA 2013 and signed the petition. I'm just confused why the AN is not here anymore? I vaguely remember reading that you'd replace it with the next chapter of the story, but it's not come yet.. Or did I get sth wrong?

**Response:****Well, I have always considered it somewhat rude when one gives a good long review, but the author never responds. Can be very annoying, especially if one as a reader has questions. **

**Glad to hear that you approve of the way I've build up for HermioneXNico and the degree of romance involved. I hate it when people are put together just for the sake of it, which is why I rarely read romance stories. **

**Regarding Ron and his jealousy: I haven't really given that much thought to it before you brought it up. Can't remember when Rowling started the whole RonxHermione thing going on, but I always felt that it was a mistake on Rowling's part. I have nothing against Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny as characters, but as pairings… thanks, but no thanks. It was like the whole RemusxTonks thing: Terrible done and seems done, well, just for the sake of shipping. Which is why that when it comes to HP characters, assuming I go further than this story, pairings might differ from canon. Sorry for my ranting. **

**Ah, bottom line is, Ron's jealousy might be brought to light at a later date. All in due time, as they say. **

**Glad to hear you like the scenes featuring the staff. As you say, it is always interesting to hear their opinions and thoughts on things and it is something that I, when I became older in any case, missed when reading the HP books. **

**Ah, that. Well, I did indeed mean weary, as in tired. But that I get questioned on it is something that makes me happy as it means you pay attention. So no need to say sorry. Rather, I say thanks **

**Oh yeah… the AN. You are quite correct that I wrote that I would let the AN stay until I posted the next (this) chapter. But after a few days, I realized that having that AN would mean more trouble for my readers, as people might post a review to it, despite me asking them not to. One can only give one review/chapter when logged in, so if one gave a signed review to the AN, they might not be able to give signed review when the chapter came. Plus, as it is, SOPA will not affect me since I don't live in the States. I just wanted to raise the alarms among my Americans readers. Hope that cleared it up for you. **

**Thank you for taking your time to read and review. **

BloodyDemigod 9/2/13 . chapter 11

I love this story so much! This is absolutely amazing, and you have so much talent! Please, update, I cannot wait for the next chapter! :)

**Response:**** Thank you for the praise. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :=)**

Zayden 9/3/13 . chapter 11

Hey pls update soon! Awsome chapter

**Response****: Thank you. Hope this chapter was just as awesome. **

Guest 9/8/13 . chapter 11

plz update! ur stories has been one of the best ! I cnt wait

**Response:**** Thank you**** Hope this chapter was worth the wait. **

Icona3 9/8/13 . chapter 11

Oh my gods (heh heh..no?) I love this story so much! It's insanely good. I like how you put Hermione and Nico together. I know you probably get this a lot, but can you please update faster!? I really want to know what happens next! It's been, like, two months! (Pretty sure it's been. My 'friends' say I have terrible judgment on...everything.) And just one question:

So Dumbledore doesn't know about the gods? Because I'm kind of confused on that.

**Response:**** Thank you for the praise. Glad you enjoy it so much**** And don't worry about saying 'Oh my gods'. I know a few out there who does it as well, so no worries. **

**Heh, you are right, I get the update faster quite a lot. But I can't do that. That would mean stressing myself, thus ruining the joy I find in writing the story. So no can do. **

**Hehe. And when you posted this review, it hadn't been that long since I posted chapter 11. I posted that August 27****th****/08-27-13. You posted this review September 8****th****/9-8-13… that is less than two weeks in between ;) But glad to hear you are enjoying it so much that it feels longer ;) **

**As for your question: No, Dumbledore doesn't know about the gods and demigods. He did in my early drafts and when I started the story, but then I changed my mind, which I had the ghosts explain to Nico that the Sorting Hat pulled one on him. **

**Hope that answered your questions **

Guest 9/9/13 . chapter 11

Please update

**Response:**** I just did ;) **

Guest 9/9/13 . chapter 11

OMG please update!

**Response:**** Here is the update. Hope you enjoyed **

Diekilles 9/20/13 . chapter 11

When...is...the...next...chapter?

**Response:**** Here. Hope you enjoyed. **

.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN1/2. Wow. 400 reviews, 358 favourites and 453 follows. When I started this story, I only dared hope for numbers like these. I'm deeply honoured, I truly am. Thank you to all who have favourite and are now following this story, put me on alerts, and not to forget, reviewed so far. **

**I apologize for the longer than usual wait, but some things took more priority. More on that in the second AN. And please read it, as it holds some answers and a question. **

**That being said: Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts, for now, I give to you: Chapter 13 of 'Dark Phoenix'. Enjoy. **

Chapter 13: Disheartening News

"A…. Achoo! "Don't even…" *cough, cough* "Think…" *cough!* "About…" *cough…* "about…" *cough…* "saying it."

Nico was in the Hospital Wing, and had been so for over a week. Madam Pomfrey had treated and healed his wounds so fast that he almost thought she was applying ambrosia and nectar. Afterwards, she had given him a very stern reprimand to wear warmer clothes in the future and asked him to stay overnight in the Hospital Wing, but the son of Hades had declined. He had no time to waste. It was only a matter of time before Camp Half-Blood's search team reached Hogwarts, and he needed to complete his weapon. But as it turned out, as if the Fates were out to torture him even more, he found himself back in the Hospital later the next day, courtesy of the other five fifth year boys and Hermione. Reason? After coughing and sneezing all day long and falling flat on his face, the fifth years decided that he had to go to the Hospital Wing, whether he liked it or not. And Madam Pomfrey had been quick to tell him that he had a severe cold and flu and ordered bed rest for at least a week.

At first, Nico had thought that it couldn't be that bad. After all, there was plenty of homework at Hogwarts and with his position as unpaid tutor for the younger kids in Transfiguration, he was sure he wouldn't get bored. He was wrong. The three first days passed in blur with him sleeping most of the time. He could start focusing a little by the end of the fourth day and by the eight he was done with all of his essays and reading. But the younger kids didn't come to him with homework were they needed help; apparently his friends had told them not to disturb him. Admittedly, he was still too weak to walk around much, but he could still use something to do. So having the fifth years forbidding the younger years to bring him work, Nico was tempted to smack the boys upside the head. And after being confined to the bed with absolutely nothing to do for three days, Nico was going absolutely nuts.

He had asked Madam Pomfrey if he couldn't just go back to the dormitory and stay there, but the matron had told him no. He had tried puppy-eyes, but the nurse had said that too many Gryffindors had used that on her, and when she let them go because she gave in to them, they ended up back in the Hospital Wing two days later. Moreover, she had told him that Harry Potter was much better at giving puppy-eyes than Nico was and she was immune to his by now. Not to mention reminding him that he was fifteen, not five.

'Note to self: Hit Harry for having made Madam Pomfrey immune to puppy eyes.'

The son of Hades had tried sneaking back to the dormitory, but the matron must either have had the senses of a hellhound or anticipated it, because he had barely gotten to the doors before she had herded him back to bed.

That didn't deter him though, and he had managed to sneak back to the portrait of the Fat Lady, just to collapse the first thing in the morning the next day in front of his dorm mates which in turn had made them drag him all the way back to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey had waited for him in exasperation, which brings us back to the situation at hand:

The son of Hades being confined to a hospital bed, with a very irate school nurse and five boys grinning smugly at him. And it did little to placate ire when Seamus whistled innocently.

"Say what? We were not about to say anything, were we boys?" Four heads shook. "There, you see? No need to be all grumpy mate."

Nico huffed. After the Boggart incident, one would have to be blind not to see that the original five Gryffindor fifth year boys had grown closer than ever. An improvement, no doubt… except that it also meant that all five of them would tease him together. But before he could retort, something caught his interest.

"Headmaster Dumbledore. Have you come to free me from this place?"

Albus' eyes twinkled merrily, amusement plain on his old face. "No Mr di Angelo, I have not."

The Ghost King let out mock sullen sigh. "It was worth a shot." He gave the Headmaster a closer look. He was acting like a fragile old man again. "Headmaster, what do I owe the pleasure of the visit? I rather doubt you visit every time a student is down with a minor inconvenience."

The aged wizard chuckled. "Mr. Finnigan, could you do an old man a favour and let me have your seat? I'm not as young as I used to be."

Nico suppressed a snort as Seamus scrambled out of his seat, obviously not used to being addressed like that by the headmaster. "O—of course Professor Dumbledore, sir!"

The son of Hades raised an eyebrow as if saying, 'really old man, aren't you a little too old to play pranks on students?' and it didn't disappear when Dumbledore transformed the hospital chair into a comfy armchair, dumbfounding Seamus slightly, and causing Nico to experience a serious sense of déjà vu. Hospital Wing, Dumbledore acting fragile just for him to make himself comfortable… yep all there. And last time, Dumbledore had complicated his life even more. So going by the pattern so far, Nico guessed the old man had something to discuss with him. The demigod groaned. He could already feel another headache forming.

Dumbledore smiled. "First, I would like to award you 100 house points for outstanding bravery against the Hunters of Artemis. All of your age mates, from all Houses, have each been awarded 10 points for bravery, loyalty and cooperation when surrounded by overwhelming odds."

Nico raised an eyebrow. Cooperation? As in teamwork? He didn't see that much teamwork among the students as a whole. Rather, he saw groups of students trying to protect themselves and the ones from their house. But he didn't feel the need to say that. Never mind contradicting the Headmaster, but he knew first-hand how people could panic on the battlefield, especially rookies facing bad odds.

"Thank you Headmaster. But I don't think that is the only reason you have come here."

Albus chuckled as he popped a Sherbet Lemon into his mouth. But then he grew solemn. "Nico, you managed to make the Hunters of Artemis retreat this time… but I need to know: Is there any chance they will make a second attempt to get to you? According to most of your classmates, they were demanding you came with them. When you refused, it came to a fight, so many are concerned that they will try again."

Nico glanced at his dorm mates. All of them looked apprehensive. He let out a sigh. "I don't think so. I think I got my message across to them, even if Hermione decided to intercept the final exchange."

Dumbledore peered at him over his spectacles. "I see. Then perhaps Miss Granger deserves an extra ten points for doing what was right?" Nico didn't answer. "I can't say I understand your motives, Nico, but always remember this: There is a fine line between justice and vengeance."

Nico chuckled darkly. "I thought so too, Professor Dumbledore… when I was eleven. But like everyone else, I grew up… though, perhaps, I grew up too fast." He met the headmaster's gaze steadily. "I see in your eyes that you have experienced the same pain as I have… the loss of a dear one, perhaps more. But from looking in your eyes, I can also tell that you had reasons and people to fight for afterwards. Once, I fought for a better future for my dear ones and allies, but some of those I fought for have declared me an enemy while others has betrayed and turned against me. Who and what do I fight for, if not for justice against the people who have wronged me?"

Dumbledore sighed. It was an argument he had heard many times before when Grindelwald rose to power, and even more times during the First Wizarding War against Voldemort. Young men and women who lost their families and friends dedicated themselves to their revenge. Albus saw them then, and he was sure he would see more in the years to come. And he knew that just like before, they would have to find the answer themselves as their walked their path, as no words of comfort and aged wisdom would make significant impact on them. But as he also knew, very few found that answer before death claimed them, which spurred him on to continue his attempts at helping them, like it had many times before.

"You are wise beyond your years, Nico, so I think you know the answer to your question: What drew you to the Forest when you learned the Hunters of Artemis were here?"

Nico frowned, eyes narrowing slightly at the old man. "My wish for justice against the Hunters. That my age mates were there was just a coincidence."

Albus let out a sad sigh. He doubted the children had observed the slight hesitation before Nico answered, but Dumbledore had, leading him to believe that Nico was not completely honest with them, nor himself. But Dumbledore also knew that calling him out on it on this stage would in all likelihood bring more harm than good, so he decided to let it drop.

"Very well. I promised the Minister to ask you if you would have any idea where to find the Hunters of Artemis. Professor Umbridge was quick to report the attack to the Ministry, and they have sent in Aurors and Hit Wizards to apprehend them."

Nico shrugged. "A waste of resources. When on the move, the Hunters of Artemis are only found if they wish to be found. In most cases, they detect and find you long before you even see or hear them. But they did mention something about hunting Dementors, so a guess will be they will seek out the area with the largest population of Dementors."

Harry almost choked on air in shock. "They are hunting Dementors? What… why… who would seek out the Dementors willingly!?"

Nico raised an eyebrow at Harry's outburst. "Don't ask me to think as deranged as they do." He coughed a few times before turning his gaze towards the Headmaster, ignoring the shocked faces of his dorm mates, who hadn't reacted at all to the news of the Hunters hunting Dementors and spoke. "Headmaster Dumbledore, I get the feeling you have more to tell me?"

Albus chuckled. True, it was worrisome that the young girls were seeking out Dementors, for better or worse, but there was little he could do about it here. Besides, he had one more thing to discuss with the bedridden boy and it could not wait. He stopped chuckling and met Nico's dark orbs calmly.

"You are right. Draco Malfoy has expressed his desire to return to Hogwarts."

There were five sharp intake of breathes from the original five Gryffindor boys, neither of them having forgotten what Draco pulled the last time. And from the immediate darkening of Nico's expression, neither had he. And his voice belied the anger he was feeling.

"I see. And you are telling me this because…?"

Dumbledore gave him a calm gaze over his spectacles. "Nico, I want your word on something: I want you to promise me that you will not seek retribution against Draco for what he did to you."

Cries of outrage followed that statement. Dumbledore couldn't be serious! After what Draco pulled, he couldn't expect Nico to take it lying down.

"Professor Dumbledore, you can't be serious!" Ron.

"After what that ferret pulled, ya seriously expect Nico to let it go?!" Seamus.

"Malfoy must be on something if he is stupid enough to think that his dirty trick has been forgotten by any of us here!" Dean.

Neville and Harry didn't seem able to form words at first, and if they did, it was hard to hear over the cursing of the others, but when they finally seemed able to put their thoughts into words, Nico held up a hand, instantly silencing them.

"And why shouldn't I curse him to the ground the moment I see him, Headmaster? He humiliated me by making me break down in front of everybody when he showed everyone my greatest fears. I'm not about to let such an insult go unpunished."

The headmaster didn't avert his gaze one bit. "Be that as it may, that is what you will have to do Mr. di Angelo. I do not know how you do things from where you are from, but here at Hogwarts, the teachers will hand out punishment to the offenders."

Nico narrowed his eyes, but before he could speak, Ron beat him to it. "And what will Malfoy's punishment be then, sir?"

The sir was hastily added when Dumbledore turned his gaze towards the impulsive redhead, but he soon turned back to Nico when he spoke. "To answer Mr. Weasley's question, young Mr. Malfoy will serve a month of detention and have lost Slytherin House seventy-five points." Nico snorted, but Dumbledore remained undeterred. "You must understand, Nico, that as the headmaster of this school, the safety of my students… all of my students, are my top priority."

Nico chuckled darkly. "Oh, I understand that quite perfectly. And I understand why you would fear for Malfoy's safety after his little trick. But his fear for my anger aside, where do I fit into this?"

Albus put his fingers together. "After the incident with the Boggarts, I had a meeting with the Minister of Magic who was quite vocal about what he thought about your presence here at Hogwarts, the opinion of some of the top of our society, Draco Malfoy's father among them, and possible solutions to deter you from continuing with, in his words, dabbling with the Dark Arts. He and Professor Umbridge, who is also the Senior Undersecretary to Minister of Magic, went as far to suggest that you spend a night in Azkaban, our prison for criminals."

The disapproval was clear in his voice, but he kept his gaze fixed at Nico, ignoring the gasps of the other five gasps.

"I managed to convince the Minister to let me handle things here this time around, but I doubt he will remain passive for much longer. Also, I cannot sit back and sleep with good conscience if the safety of one or more of my students is being threatened. Especially, if they are being threatened by another student to whom I myself offered the hospitality and immunity of Hogwarts. An offer that I might have to withdraw if said student knowingly will endanger another student." He peered at Nico over his spectacles. "I do not wish for you to feel like a victim here, Nico, but the safety of my students is my top priority, and this is the only way I can think of that allows me to protect the both of you. And I do not wish to think of the consequences, for either of you, if we fail in reaching an agreement here."

Nico gave him a long and calculating look, but the aged wizard met his gaze head-on, unblinking, betraying nothing. The son of Hades had to refrain from snorting and smiling. Smiling because it was so carefully worded that it sounded like he had choice, while in reality, the Headmaster was forcing his hand. A master in the art of deception himself, Nico could appreciate a masterpiece of cunning and subtle manipulation when he saw it.

The message was very clear: Agree or I will withdraw my offer of hospitality and immunity. But Nico could tell that the headmaster really didn't want to do that, but he would in order to protect Malfoy from Nico. The son of Hades had nothing but respect for that. Dumbledore would do what he deemed necessary to protect his students. He was a true leader, who would make the most unpleasant of choices if necessary.

The Ghost King frowned slightly, barely perceptible to the naked eye, but from the look he was receiving from the headmaster, he suspected that the old man had seen it and probably had a good guess at what he was thinking.

'Dumbledore said this so-called agreement is the only way he can protect both Malfoy and me… protect us from what? Malfoy needs protection from me, obviously, but I can't see why he would seek to protect me. He undoubtedly knows that I would be long gone before the Ministry shows up to take me into custody, and that I'm more than capable of fighting back should it come to it.' His frown deepened. 'I doubt Azkaban would be as bad as the Fields of Punishment, but I don't fancy going to prison. I have read and heard of those Dementors that guard it and while I'm confident I could escape, I must admit that I can think of other things to use my time on.'

His frown deepened. 'Azkaban is supposed to be a prison for the criminals and the Dark Wizards… ah, I see. Dumbledore is afraid I will become a true dark wizard. He knows that my powers are considered dark, and he fears that if I spend time among hard-core criminals, I will come to think like them and possible join them. He knows young people are susceptible to ideals of others, and he wants to avoid that I get influenced by the wrong people. You need not worry about that, old man. I have been influenced by the wrong people too often to let myself be caught by their lies again.'

His eyes narrowed when he noticed the slight frown on the headmaster's brow and if Nico hadn't been looking as closely as he had, he would have missed the worried look in the blue eyes.

'I do wonder headmaster… are you worried that I will go to prison and become a dark wizard… or are you worried about something else? Something you aren't telling me'

He had barely thought the last part, his curiosity for Dumbledore's concern for him suddenly sparking, when the headmaster spoke. "I'm afraid I will need an answer soon, Nico."

Nico closed his eyes and sighed. He was left with two options, even though Dumbledore was forcing his hand. Punish Malfoy would mean that he would lose Hogwarts' hospitality and immunity granted by Dumbledore, which in turn would mean that he would have to run from Hogwarts and abandon all hope of finding friends who would accept him for who he is. Basically, it would be the same as abandoning what he had come to see a hope of finding a place to call home. He couldn't do that. Never mind the fact that it would mean probably leaving his almost completed weapon behind, and that he would constantly have to be on his guard for the Ministry of Magic, Camp Jupiter, Hunters of Artemis and Camp Half-Blood once he had settled his score with the latter, but Nico had suffered the pain of being rejected by what he hoped he could call home before, and he was not sure he could suffer that pain once more.

'Ever since Bianca died and I discovered who I'm, I have longed for friends and a place to call home. I thought I had found it at Camp Half-Blood, but they clearly only want me when they are in trouble. Here at Hogwarts… with Hermione, Harry, Ron, his brothers and sister, Neville and the other fifth year boys… for the first time in years, I feel like I have chance at finding somewhere I belong. And if I have to put up with that good-for-nothing brat to Malfoy to keep that chance alive, then so be it.' Then he mentally scowled at himself. 'Get your head back in the game, di Angelo. You can't allow petty sentiments to rule your actions. You still have a score to settle. And for that, you need your weapon that is being forged as we speak. Also, the search team will come to Hogwarts, saving me the trouble looking for them. Besides, I prefer knowing the battleground beforehand. So I will play nice… for now.'

The son of Hades opened his eyes and looked the headmaster in the eye. "I accept headmaster. I will not curse Malfoy while at this school."

Dumbledore gave him a hard look. "I want you to understand this clearly, Nico. You are not allowed to curse him, use your gifts of Umbrakinesis and black fire. Nor are you attack him the Muggle way. Do you understand what I'm saying, Nico?"

Nico nodded, briefly wondering if the Headmaster knew about his weapon being forged as they spoke, meeting the piercing stare of the old man with one of his own. "I understand perfectly, headmaster. And I swear on my honour that I will not curse, jinx or hex Draco Malfoy into oblivion. Neither will I attack him with Black Hellfire, Ghost Fire or shadows. I swear I will not as much as raise a fist against him to cause him harm. You have my word."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well. I will tell Draco Malfoy that he has nothing to fear from you and I will tell the Minister that since you have sworn not to harm Draco, the hospitality and immunity of Hogwarts still stands." His eyes softened as he stood. "Also, always remember this: Help will always be given at Hogwarts if you ask for it."

Nico nodded. "Thank you, headmaster."

Dumbledore gave all of the boys a small smile before leaving. But once out the doors of the Hospital Wings, he frowned deeply. Nico troubled him. He had seen the war raging inside the boy… the war between hatred and thirst for vengeance battling his longing to have friends. Earlier, when asked about what drew him to the Forest, Nico had answered it was his want for justice against the Hunters, but Albus had heard the slight hesitation, making him believe that something else was the driving factor for Nico: His want to protect who had come to think of as friends.

The aged wizard hoped Nico would let that be his drive, and not give in to his lust for vengeance, no matter how strong. Just as he hoped that Nico's reason for staying at Hogwarts was because he cared for his newfound friends, and not to gain a tactical advantage in plotting for his revenge.

Once they were sure Dumbledore had left and were out of earshot, the Gryffindor fifth year boys turned to their bedridden friend. Dean summed up their thoughts pretty well. "This isn't fair. Malfoy pretty much got off scot-free from what he pulled. And Snape and Umbridge will make sure that Slytherin will 'earn' the lost points back, or we will lose the ones you was just awarded."

Nico grunted before coughing. He could care less about that. He had far bigger concerns than house point, like his former allies and now having to suppress the urge to murder Malfoy at first given opportunity. "Life is seldom fair, Dean. Get used to it. Besides, I have other things to worry about than a slimy brat." He grimaced as he saw Madam Pomfrey heading towards him with a goblet with some steaming potion in it. "Like that, for instance. Madam Pomfrey, do I really have to drink that?" A frown of disapproval was his only response. "Right. But you can't blame a guy for trying. This stuff is nasty."

Madam Pomfrey clicked her tongue. "Mr. di Angelo, you wouldn't need to drink this potion to keep your temperature down and ease your airways if you hadn't snuck out before you were cleared. If you had stayed here the first time around, you might have been able to go back to Gryffindor Tower today."

Harry snickered as Nico grimaced as he drank the concoction. True, Nico had faced terrible odds and were now being denied revenge against Malfoy, but the look of disgust as he swallowed the potion was simply too much. Besides, Nico might not be able to have his revenge, but Harry would remember to give the Weasley twins a little request about the unfairness of the situation.

Nico winced and took the goblet away after having drunk about half of it. "Gods, this stuff is gross."

A look of utter dismay and disgust crossed his face when saw how much he still had to drink, and it became too much for the other boys as they burst out laughing, Harry voicing what they all thought. "Hate to say it Nico, but: told you."

Nico scowled and was about to retort when a simple look from Madam Pomfrey told him he had better drink the potion while it was still warm, or he would have to start all over. He had tried that once and vowed never to do that again. The second batch was absolutely nauseating.

'Note to self: Hit Harry for being cheeky.'

As Madam Pomfrey herded his age mates out, Nico drank the rest of the potion, grimacing when he was done. 'This is ridiculous. I have faced hordes of ferocious monsters and what not, but I'm being bested by flu. The mighty son of Hades, being bested by flu…. how embarrassing.'

00000

There is one thing all demigods fear: Their dreams. They bring them information about the past, present and sometimes even the future. But if you asked Percy, they brought more harm than good. And Percy's case, they brought headaches.

_Percy found himself walking the gardens of Olympus, the starry night above them only adding to the beauty and serenity. But the calm was broken when Percy heard two female voices arguing. They were familiar to him as he was sure he had heard them before, but he couldn't place them. In all likelihood, he had pissed them off some way or another. He tried going around a tall hedge to sneak a peek at the two women arguing, but his feet seemed to have been nailed to ground, and as such, he could only listen to the voices. _

"_This was not part of the agreement! This was not part of the plan!"_

_The first one was clearly agitated, but the other seemed to find her ire amusing as she replied in a calm and slightly condescending manner. "Agreement? Plan? The only thing we agreed on was the fact that Nico di Angelo was a hindrance to us. Besides, things might work out better this way… for me, at least. The son of Hades was born to end lives, and I intend to direct his anger towards the right targets." _

_Percy was shocked, but he also felt anger bubbling up within him. Nico was not someone's toy. And the first woman seemed to have been angered by the words of the second; though Percy had a feeling they were feeling angry for two different reasons. _

"_I don't know what you are planning, but remember: We are in this together. If Hades finds out—" _

_The other cut across her, and while her voice was still calm, Percy could have sworn that there might be a bit of nervousness in there. "He won't. Now, you will have to excuse me."_

_Percy heard the second woman walk away, and he both hoped and feared she would turn the corner so he could see her and discover who was messing with his cousin, but her footsteps disappeared in the opposite direction, so he was spared a possible violent fight of minds. However, his anger and relief was short-lived and replaced with shock and fear when the remaining woman spoke again._

"_The son of Hades is too dangerous to be allowed to live. Luckily, seeing how I suspected she might try double-crossing me, I have an ace in my sleeve. It is a pity that I had to trick Persephone into releasing her, but to guarantee Nico di Angelo's death, it had to be done. Now, a monster no demigod has ever beaten has been unleashed. Soon she will be back at full strength, and I will have my 'ally' send her to kill the son of Hades."_

Percy woke with a start, bathed in cold sweat and his hearts hammering in his chest.

00000

"_September 1st, the Welcoming Feast at Hogwarts was interrupted by a teenage boy and two monsters appearing via Umbraportation, the forerunner for modern day Apparition with roots in the Dark Arts. The boy continued to use his preference for the Dark Arts to vanquish the two monsters that followed him before fainting. The name of the boy: Nico di Angelo. But this isn't all di Angelo has shown. He has displayed the ability of Parseltongue, the ability to talk to snakes as demonstrated by him after he lost friendly duel to one of his classmates. As we all know, the most notorious Parselmouth was no other than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and after di Angelo's violent outbursts and display of affinities for the Dark Arts, we must ask ourselves this: Is Nico di Angelo the new Dark Lord on the rise? And if so, why is he still being allowed at Hogwarts by Headmaster Dumbledore, who refuses to even consider removing di Angelo?_

_Nico di Angelo continues to scare the students of Hogwarts, as last seen when he lost control after a harmless prank. _

'_It was terrifying. Shadows flying everywhere. We are terrified of him, but no one dares challenge him. Why isn't he being taken to Azkaban? Please, help us.' _

_So says Amber Julson, First Year student from Slytherin House. And her sentiments are being shared by the parents. _

'_Headmaster Dumbledore's policies as of late have been of great concern. Over the last four years, he has failed repeatedly to keep our children safe. And now, he is ignoring another serious threat within the school. Never mind the preposterous nonsense that he is allowing young Mr. Potter to spread, we can just shrug it off as boy wanting attention. But we cannot ignore that he is allowing a threat to our children to stay within Hogwarts walls, under pretext of having invoked some long outdated rules.'_

_So says Lucius Malfoy, father to Draco Malfoy, who is currently in his fifth year. And a lot of parents we have talked with share Mr. Malfoy's concerns. Which steps will be taken to ensure the safety of Hogwarts students is unknown, but can we as a community have a good night's sleep, when we know that a possible Dark Lord on the rising is walking among our children?"_

Grover lowered the newspaper very slowly, looking at Annabeth. "The article goes on a little further, but you get the gist of it." He looked towards the forest, then at his watch, seeing it was eight in the morning. "Leo should be back soon. Do you want me to wake Percy?"

Annabeth shook her head. "No, let him sleep another hour. We need him to be at full strength before moving-"

"Annabeth."

Annabeth turned her head and let out a small scream when she took in the face of her friend shimmering in the Iris Message. "Thalia! Oh my gods, what happened to you?!"

Grover turned in his seat and let out strangled noise. They could only see the lieutenant of Artemis's face, but that was enough to let them know that something in the Hunters' attempt at rescuing Nico had gone wrong. Her usually electric blue eyes were dim and bloodshot, her face sunken and yellowy like parchment with veins showing on her cheeks and around her eyes. And with the sweat on her face, it was clear she was far from prime condition. Despite all that, she managed a small smile.

"Hello Annabeth, Grover. Where are Percy and Leo?"

Annabeth smiled faintly. "Percy is still sleeping and Leo is out refilling our water supplies." Then she gave her friend a concerned look. "Thalia, what happened?"

A most troubled look came across the daughter of Zeus' face, and her voice was tight. "We found Nico and this Hogwarts. We came across an opponent we did not expect and had no way of preparing for. We were lucky no one got killed, but we had several close calls… me among them."

Grover bit his lips nervously. Whoever could take on the entire force of Artemis' hunters and live to tell the tale? It did not bode well for their rescue mission. Especially since Thalia, the top Hunter and one of the most powerful demigods he had ever met had got beaten so soundly . He couldn't speak, but he could hear the anxiety in Annabeth's voice when she spoke.

"Thalia… who was your enemy?" A cross between an almost bitter and haunted look came across the Lieutenant's face, but she didn't speak, causing a knot of dread to form in Annabeth's stomach. "Thalia?"

The daughter of Zeus took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. When she spoke, her voice was guarded, but it also had a slight edge of steel in it. "Annabeth, we need to talk. Right now… alone."

Annabeth almost winced. She hadn't heard that tone since they were on the run together with Luke. It was a voice Thalia took on every time she had something to discuss with Luke, usually after he had done something, and she didn't want Annabeth to hear them argue. It was a voice that left no room for argument. And apparently, Grover recognized it too, for after a quick exchange of the eyes, he stood, a frown on his face. Clearly, he didn't like that they were about to talk about something important without him, but he also knew they wouldn't talk as long he was there, so biting his lips, he addressed both girls nervously.

"Well, I think I will go look for Leo now… make sure he hasn't drowned you know. Take care Thals."

Thalia gave a small smile. "Take care Grover."

With that the satyr hurried into the forest, leaving the two girls to talk in private. Once she was sure he was out of earshot, Annabeth frowned at the other girl, worry on her face. "Thalia, what happened?"

The daughter of Zeus took a deep breath. "I will cut right to it: We found Nico and we fought him."

The daughter of Athena went pale. "What? Thalia, tell me everything."

The lieutenant of the Hunters nodded before launching into her report. She left nothing out. From the fight with the Hogwarts students, to Nico showing up and their fight and how Hermione stopped Nico from ending her life, and his parting words, though she did leave out the parts regarding her brother. By the time she was done, Annabeth was paler than chalk, cold sweat running down the side of her face.

She remembered what the goddess told about a possible spy in Camp Half-Blood, and her earlier suspicions of Nico being a spy had slowly risen back up during Thalia's recount of the events. So when Thalia came to how their find ended and Nico's final words, the alarms in her mind were glowing bright right, everything else having been pushed to the back.

'I… I don't believe it. Nico is the spy. But why would he turn against Camp? Because of what happened to Bianca that Percy promised… oh my gods, what I'm going to tell Percy? Nico is like a little brother to him… he will be heartbroken'

"Annabeth, are you listening to me?"

Annabeth blinked, meeting the worried gaze of Thalia. When she spoke, she had to suppress the shakiness in her voice. "I'm sorry about that Thalia, just zoned out there. What were you saying?

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "Annabeth, you can't go to Hogwarts. As I said, we fought and fatally wounded Nico's sister. How he found out, I have no idea, but I know that if you show up at Hogwarts, he is not likely to take it lightly. What were you thinking about anyways?"

Annabeth laughed nervously. She had a pretty good idea about how Nico knew about the attack on his sister, but it was only now its full implications hit home. Nico must have known about the Roman demigods for some time, and for reasons unknown, never told a soul at Camp. And with his fight against Thalia and Hunters, he had shown that he no longer considered them friends. And she remembered all too well how angry he had been after Bianca's death. This time, there would be no friendly ghost to talk him out of his anger. But she also knew that she couldn't just say to Percy that she couldn't come with them to retrieve Nico because of a covert operation gone wrong. She sighed, briefly wondering how this situation could get any worse.

"I was thinking about how to tell Percy."

"Tell me what?"

Annabeth almost jumped into the air. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Percy standing there, hair tousled like he had just rolled out of bed, which, if his sleepy-eyed expression was anything to go by, he just had. Glancing at the image of Thalia, the daughter of Athena saw pity in her eyes, but also anger. Pity for Percy, anger at Nico. Or at least, that was what she thought. But the daughter of Zeus gave nothing away when she spoke.

"What did you hear, Seaweed Brain? Were you eavesdropping on us?"

Percy shrugged, messing up his hair even more. "Not really. Just woke up. Though, I did hear something about Nico fighting someone, but I didn't get any details."

Thalia gave a tight nod, exchanging a look with Annabeth. Her voice was slightly bitter when she spoke. "That is right. Nico had a fight… with us. ." Percy looked absolutely dumbfounded, but Thalia didn't give him any times to collect his thoughts. "Regardless of the reason, we are out of this 'rescue' mission. He mortally wounded Loreen and almost killed several Hunters. Most of my sisters in arms want revenge, but they now know they are no match for him in a full-out battle. So the moment Loreen and I are back on our feet, the Hunters of Artemis will put our full focus on what we came here to do in the first place: To hunt down and slay a Dementor. From here on out, you are on your own." She looked Percy directly in the eyes. "Percy, you are only one who can fight Nico on equal foot now. Subdue him if possible, but don' expect you can talk to him. Good luck Seaweed Brain…you are going to need it. You all are."

With that, Thalia cut off the connection, leaving a very confused son of Poseidon and a nervous daughter of Athena alone. Percy was the first to speak.

"What was… that? Did she just say that Nico… almost killed her… and some of the Hunters? Why would he do that? I don't understand…"

Annabeth bit her lip nervously as Percy trailed off, a frown on his face while his mouth moved without letting words come out. But just as she opened her mouth, turns took another dive when both Leo and Grover appeared. The satyr was chewing on an empty cola can, water bottles under his left arm, nervousness clear on his face.

"Hey Perce, what's up man? I felt your confusion through the empathy link."

Leo nodded. "Yeah, goat boy here almost started dragging me by his teeth."

Grover scowled at the fire-wielder, but before he could say anything, Percy spoke up. "We just talked with Thalia. Apparently, and I know this sounds unbelievable, but apparently they fought Nico… and Nico used lethal force and almost killed some of them. But I have no idea why he would do that. I mean, he has moved on from losing Bianca, hasn't he?" Leo winced, and it didn't go unnoticed by the son of Poseidon. "What is it, Leo?"

Leo gave the older boy an uneasy glance, but one look was enough to tell Leo that he had better spill or Percy was going to dump in him in the nearest lake. "Percy, listen man. I don't know how to tell this, but Nico… well, it isn't really my place to tell. Aw man, this situation is lose-lose for me. I tell you, Nico gets mad. I don't tell you, you get mad. I'm always so unlucky… "

Percy just stared at him. Under normal circumstances, he liked Leo and found him quite amusing. But right now, he really wanted some answer that could ease his confusion. "Leo… tell me… now."

Leo found himself swallowing slightly. He had never really given it much thought, but now he could clearly see that Nico and Percy, indeed, were cousins. When angry, their glares promised whoever on the receiving end of them that they had better shut up or start speaking unless they wanted something worse than just glares. Fidgeting on his feet and tinkering with a few bolts and some wire, Leo spoke nervously.

"Well… some time ago… the Stolls, Nico and I… well, we got drunk and well… Nicosaidthat hestillharboursillfeelingstowarsyouandthehuntersforhissister's death."

Percy nodded. "I see… wait, what? What was the last part? Could you please repeat that? Slowly, this time."

The son of Hephaestus took a deep breath, well knowing that his words would not be well-received. "I said: Nico told us that, a small part of him mind you, still blames Percy and the Hunters of Artemis for the death of his sister."

Percy felt like someone just punched him in the gut. He remembered all too well how Nico had been right after Bianca's death. If that anger had resurfaced… Percy didn't want to think about it. Either way, it could spell trouble… for all of them. But before he could say anymore, Annabeth spoke up in a quiet voice.

"Percy… you see Nico more than anybody when he visits camp. Has he, I don't know, acted strange to you lately?"

Percy frowned. "Not that I've noticed. Well, he was a bit more snappy and reclusive than usual last time he visited, but considering how he had just had a run in with an angry monster in San Francisco, I think it was justified. I heard him muttering something about someone being stupid and making his life troublesome, or something like that, and I would have missed it completely if I hadn't stopped his door from closing." He took in their incredulous looks. "What? I wanted to see if the rumours about him and Piper were true." He blushed when he saw Leo waggle his eyebrows suggestively. "No you idiot, not like that!"

Annabeth frowned. Under less serious circumstances, she would have scolded Percy for attempting at breaching another cabin's privacy for simply investigating a silly camp rumour. Admittedly, Nico had been seen giving Piper one-on-one combat lessons and training, something he had never done for anyone before and it was probably what had started the rumours in the first place, but she hadn't believed that Percy would be that curious about it. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind for possible detours. She would need her thoughts clear for this.

"Percy, have you ever wondered… if Nico would turn against Camp?"

Percy blinked, flabbergasted. And his confusion didn't really clear once Annabeth's words had been processed. "Why would Nico turn against camp, Wise Girl? Ever since the Titan War, he has been our primary way of getting demigods to camp fast if the satyrs didn't think they could handle it. Also, he has undertaken some of the most dangerous missions for camp; infiltrating Medea's place, dealing with Midas and his son and coming to the Hunters' aid against Lycaon, to name a few."

Annabeth bit her lip nervously. "But that is just the problem, Percy. All of those missions, and he has been successful in all of them. Nico got skills and power, but he has completed missions, singlehandedly, that would be challenging or impossible for whole teams. I have never given it much thought before now, but doesn't it seem a bit strange to you? It is almost like he completes the mission too easily. What… what if the reason he completes them so easily is because his opponents let him?"

The son of Poseidon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Admittedly, he had a somewhat rocky past with Nico di Angelo, but so far the son of Hades had pulled through for them in the end. Hell, he had saved their asses from the fire in the worst kind of situations and even helped them turn the tide during the Titan War. Until that moment, Percy had never really thought he could grow angry with Annabeth. Granted, in the past, he had gotten very annoyed, bordering on angry, when Annabeth got defensive of Luke, but jealousy might have played in on that anger as well. However, there was no jealousy this time.

Trying his best to keep the anger out of his voice, Percy glared at Annabeth. "Annabeth, I don't like what you are implying."

Annabeth sighed. She had seen the anger and feeling of betrayal in her boyfriend's eyes and heard it in his voice, but she didn't back down. She needed to get Percy to understand. "I don't like it either, Percy, I really don't. Nico is my friend too. But so is Thalia. And with his attack on the Hunters, he has shown that he doesn't consider them his allies, much less friends." She bit her lip. "Percy, you have to consider the possibility that Nico has turned against Camp. And if he should ever attack it… what you will do"

The son of Poseidon frowned, anger suddenly battling with confusion. "Wise Girl, what, exactly, are you saying?"

The daughter of Athena took a deep breath before exhaling slowly with closed eyes. When she opened them again, there was nothing but seriousness in them. "I'm saying that if Nico should turn against Camp, you will have to do your duty as camp leader and protect it. Even if that means taking out Nico. Percy, you are the only one who can. If he ever attacks camp, you will have to stop him. Even… even if it means killing him."

Percy couldn't believe his ears. Gone was the anger, having been replaced with shock and disbelief. He was waiting for someone to shout 'got/fooled you!' When no one did, he had great difficulty finding his voice. "But… but what about Leo? Leo can fight him too."

Leo let out very unmanly squeak, followed by a strangled laugh. "Me? Fight Nico? Are you crazy?! I'm stupid, not suicidal."

Annabeth frowned. "You are not stupid, Leo. A stupid person wouldn't have been able to fix Festus." Then she turned to Percy. "Percy, it pains me to say it, but you are the only one who can match Nico now that he has proved he can beat Thalia. And believe me, I don't say these things to be mean, but you have to face the possibility that Nico has turned against camp and that you will have to face him in battle if it comes down to it." She let out a sigh and addressed Leo and Grover. "Perhaps we should go for a little while, guys. Let us give him some space." The two other boys nodded and took off. Once they had left, Annabeth tuned towards her boyfriend, sadness in her eyes "Percy… for all its worth… I'm sorry. I truly am."

Percy didn't respond, didn't as much as glance her way when she left as well. He was torn inside… torn between believing that Nico was still loyal to Camp Half-Blood and one of his best friends on one hand, and the need to believe what his girlfriend had told him on the other.

He sat down heavily. Never before had he felt so confused, so… distressed. The energy he had gotten from his sleep had left him altogether during the last thirty minutes. And his dream was still in the back of his mind, laughing mockingly at him as his worries mounted.

For the first time in his life, Percy didn't know what to do or think.

None of them noticed the red bird disappearing in a flash of flames.

00000

"Finally out of that prison. Seriously, if I was going to spend another night in the Hospital Wing, I would explode."

It was one week later, marking the middle-late part of November, and Nico was finally out of the Hospital Wing and back among the Gryffindor fifth year boys in their dormitory, and was now ranting about how terrible it had been in the Hospital Wing, much to their amusement.

Nico himself was happy as well. Not only was he back among his new friends and girlfriend, but the forging of his weapon would be completed on schedule. The first thing he had done after his fight with the Hunters, well first after having his wounds tended to by Madam Pomfrey, was starting the completion of his new weapon. After a cool down period on two hours, the gunbai had reverted back to the basic form, the bo-staff, making it ready for the final stage.

The procedure had been pretty much the same, except with one minor difference: He had placed the two forty centimetres curvy blades beneath the staff at one of its ends, about thirty centimetres apart. From there, the procedure had been the same, and it had been just as taxing as last time. But at least he had gotten started the night before he was taken to the Hospital Wing. And if his calculations were right, the magical forging would be complete at the start of December, with a new estimated cool down time on four to six hours.

"Nico, mate, are you alright? You seemed to space out there for a bit."

The son of Hades glanced at Harry who looked ready to climb into bed. Yawning before he could stop himself, Nico nodded. "Yeah, just a bit tired." Taking his clothes off until he was down to his boxers, Nico jumped into bed. "Goodnight guys."

A chorus of goodnights met him and soon he drifted off to sleep. But none of them would get a good sleep that night.

Harry was having nice dream. He was making out with Cho Chang when it happened: The screams. They cut through everything in the otherwise quiet dormitory.

"Wha… what is happening?"

Fumbling after his glasses, he got out of bed, ignoring the sleepy muttering of four other boys. Once he found them, his eyes took in the scene and zoomed in on the problem, worry creeping vanquishing all tiredness in the process, despite it being three in the night. "Nico?"

The pale boy was thrashing on his bed, screaming his lungs out. It didn't last for long, however, as he suddenly tumbled out of bed, landing on the floor with a crash, toppling the nightstand in the process. Worried that he had hurt himself, the other boys hurried over, forming a semicircle around Nico, who was on his hands and knees, panting for breath, all of them ignoring that he was only clad in his boxers. They couldn't see his face as it was facing the ground, but in the light provided by the moon, they saw the tears glittering as they fell before hitting the ground, staining the duvet and floor.

But then something else drew their attention: The soft muttering and cursing of the boy on the ground.

"I should have killed them in the forest. Damn you Annabeth Chase, damn you… damn you. Damn you… damn you… damn you… damn you, Thalia Grace… I should have killed you. Curse you… I will not make… the same mistake twice, Annabeth. Curse you… curse you…"

Glancing at each other, the five boys had a silent conversation, before all eyes settled on Harry. Steeling his courage, the Boy-Who-Lived knelt down in front of Nico and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Nico… what's wrong?"

The pale boy's muttering and cursing came to a slow stop, and when he raised his head to look at whoever was trying to comfort him, the tears in his eyes became clear for all to see, alongside the shock, sadness and sorrow. And if his face was not enough to show how distraught he was, his voice carried his distress as he choked on his words.

"Nightmare… sister's death… Hazel's aura… no longer… feeling Hazel's aura. My sister… my little sister… she… she is gone… my little sister… she is… gone. She is gone!"

The boys felt a clench in their chests when they heard the usual stoic and collected boy scream in anguish. But they didn't get a chance to dwell on it, for things took a turn for the worse. The temperature seemed to drop rapidly and a familiar feeling of death and fear hit them all. And one look at Nico's face had Harry recoiling back in fear. All of his distress had been replaced with anger and hatred, his eyes glowing with a reddish hue that got stronger by each passing second.

But it wasn't just Nico's murderous intent that was growing. Neville could feel the power within the other boy boil and churn with the force of a hurricane, rapidly getting out of control, and the young Longbottom realized that if they didn't do anything quickly, they would soon have a repeat of the Boggart incident, possibly even worse. But he wasn't the only who had realized that when the shadows started flying towards Nico, knocking Dean, Seamus and Neville away. Ron had realized how dangerous their situation was about to become as well, and that spurred him on to something that was right and wrong, courageous and stupid, all at the same time.

Using a technique Nico had taught him, Ron cocked his arm back and punched Nico in the face with all of his strength. It was right and courageous to do as they needed to stop the situation before it got out of hand; wrong and stupid because if he had failed, he would be the first Nico would direct his fury at. But as it was, luck must have been on Ron's side, for Nico went out like a light, and the temperature and the shadows of the dormitory instantly went back to their normal places.

Gasping for breath, the four other boys sat up, all looking at Ron with disbelieving stares. Dean was the first to speak. "Ron… that was great, but it was also…"

"Stupid? I know."

Dean frowned. "That too. But you know, you could have used a wand."

Ron laughed, but it held no humour. "Yeah, after I found it. But my first instinct when someone is having a nightmare isn't drawing my wand. Besides… if we hadn't done something, it would have been the Boggart incident all over again… possibly worse."

No one argued as they had to agree. But to Seamus, the oppressing tension soon became too much, and he made an attempt at lightening the mood. "So guys, the question is: Who of us is man enough to try stopping Nico and Hermione from pummelling Ron for what he just did?"

No one answered, though for different reason. Dean and Harry were too busy laughing, albeit forced and nervously, at Ron who had gone deadly pale and was now muttering about gits. Neville, however, wasn't laughing for a completely different reason.

Thanks to his ability to sense the power levels of others, he could feel what the other boys could not. The other boys might try to hide their nervousness behind laughter, but Neville could feel it even now; despite Nico being unconscious, the power and murderous intent was still boiling within him.

Neville's voice was barely above a whisper, but his dorm mates still heard him. "Who is Annabeth Chase?"

The nervous laughter instantly stopped, and a sombre silence filled the dormitory. A silence that lasted for the rest of the night, as no one moved to go back to bed, knowing they would get no more sleep that night. All of the teenagers had the same thought:

What kind of hell would be unleashed if this Annabeth Chase ever showed up at Hogwarts?

End chapter 13.

**AN2/2: Whew. I apologize for the two months wait, but I have been rather busy with school. Add illness, writer's block and minor home concerns to the mix, and yeah. **

**Now, to answer a general question I might be asked a few times: What do I intend to do with NicoxHermione in light of House of Hades? Answer: I intend to follow through with my original plot and planning. **

**Also, I implore you not to hate too much on Dumbledore and Annabeth; they are among of my favourites.**

**Lastly, before the small sneak peeks for the next chapter, let me tell you something: I get happy when I get reviews, though some can annoy me a little. However, I rarely get to feel annoyance mixed with amusement and concern all at the same time, yet one guy managed to do so with two reviews. Here, allow me share them with you. **

"Leo doesn't get to camp until Percy and Jason go missing from their camps gosh why are people so daft"

and

"Have you ever read the lost hero or son of Neptune? Your story has faults and story gaps and most of your information is wrong Frank and Jason don't met until Mark of Athena and Frank doesn't get claimed until son of Neptune so you have many major flaws in your story."

**Now, don't go waste your energy at flaming the reviewer. I already tried contacting him/her, but he/she has disabled PM. You can probably guess why these reviews brought me great annoyance and great amusement. That was another factor why I took so long: I was too busy laughing at those two reviews. I said in AN in chapter 3 that I started this fic before I had read 'The Lost Hero' and that 'Heroes of Olympus' never happened. **

**Still, I got a bit concerned when reading the second review, so perhaps I'm asking a stupid question seeing how no one has complained about it before, but: **

**Are people generally of the idea that this follows 'Heroes of Olympus' canon? Or is it, as I hope and think, just one guy/girl that lacks reading comprehension and simple logic? **

**Anyways, time for the sneak peeks for next chapter of 'Dark Phoenix.'**

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"He is too dangerous to have here."

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"Not again."

"This time, you are not alone."

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"You have irked me one too many times."

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"Hello Percy."

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"What does that mean?"

"It means that this time, they are not fighting for fun or training. This time… they are fighting for real."

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Next time, on 'Dark Phoenix': The Consequences of Our Actions.

**That is all you get for now folks. Again, sorry for the longer than usual wait. Hope the chapter was worth it. **

**Time for the anonymous reviews for chapter 12.**

Guest chapter 12 . Nov 20

Great chapter update soon!

**Response: Thank you**** Thank you for taking you time to read and review. **

sherlockian chapter 12 . Nov 3

OK, two things. 1, I really shouldn't have eaten those 3 musketeers... And 2, I want another chapter, no wait... I DEMAND IT. Oh and when you are addressing me, pls put my username sherlockian as I don't wanna have to guess which is mine.

**Response: Eaten three musketeers? Lol, did they taste good? Hehe, well, demand all you want, you will only get another chapter when I'm satisfied with it. But don't worry, I have no plans of abandoning this story. **

**Thank you for taking your time to read and review.**

000001 chapter 12 . Nov 2

¿Y el capítulo? DX ¿cuánto tengo que esperar para poder leer otro capítulo?!

**Response: Me no comprendo español. Inglés por favor. But I'm guessing you were asking about how you long you will have to wait for the next chapter or something along those lines. Generally, I post a chapter within one or two months, all depending on the circumstances.**

**Thank you for taking your time to read and review. **

Harry freak chapter 12 . Nov 1

I loved it you have a talent there my freind i expect a lot from you in the future ( I am not a fortune teller )

**Response: Thanks. I have a dream and ambition of becoming a professional author someday.**

**Thank you for taking your time to read and review.**

awesoME chapter 12 . Oct 19

Heyy.. have ya read the House of Hades, yet?

if/when you do.. what are ya gonna do with nicoXhermione? (haha i think this was just a spoiler)

oh well.. awesome as always! more! update soon!

**Response: *Growls.* You gave a severe hint at a spoiler, I will give you that. Please refrain from doing so again. To answer your question: I will carry on as originally planned. **

**But thanks for the praise and for taking your time to read and review. **

Guest chapter 12 . Oct 14

Will there by a 13th chapter?

**Response: Yep. I intend to finish this story. Thank you for taking your time to read and review. **

Guest chapter 12 . Oct 11

why do you have to torture us with such amazing previews of the chapters and dont you dare stop doing it

**Response: Heh, they are like cliff-hangers… to keep my readers interest and curiosity up of course **** Well, can promise that I will see this story through, but I won't give any promises regarding the sneak peeks. **

**Thank you for taking your time to read and review. **

Skillet chapter 12 . Oct 9

Prfff screw you "percabeth fan extrodinare" the author writes what he/she wants...

**Response: Now, that was uncalled for **** Admittedly, I will write my story exactly as I want, but readers/reviewers are always welcome to tell me what they want/hope will happen. I'm a guy by the way. Bottom line, no need for insulting each other. We are entitled to our own opinions.**

Olympusmon chapter 12 . Oct 6

Percy vs Nico Battle Royal

**Response: Something like that. Thank you for taking your time to read and review.**

Guest chapter 12 . Oct 6

I seriously loved the relationship between nico and hermione cause it wasn't crappy fluff but real likeness and comfort. I also liked the prowess level you gave everyone and I think its well served. I was very shocked that jason was manipulated by Voldemort so easily but it serves a very interesting twist I can't wait till the next chapter no pressure but try to put it up asap. I absolutely adored the fight scene and the 12 terror idea was intriguing to say the least but I think a confrontation between nico and his father is due or at least for nico to tell someone the whole true story preferably percy but thanks for the amazing chapter

best of luck

COL

**Response: Thank you for the praise. I'm glad you put into words your thoughts on NicoxHermione and that you are happy that it isn't just fluff but actually had something more in it; it was exactly what I aiming for when deciding on them getting together. **

**And I'm very happy you approve of the level of prowess I have given the characters. I was nervous how well they would be received by my readers. Too much, too little… that is what I have in mind when I write fight scenes. **

**Well, technically, Jason was manipulated by Lucius. However, you have to keep in mind that Jason doesn't know anything about Lucius, much less Voldemort. But I was mostly playing Jason's character and how he would react based on what I have seen in the books.**

**As for Nico to tell what happened: All in due time…all in due time. **

**Thank you for taking your time to read and review. **

Guest 6 chapter 12 . Oct 6

I would like to thank you for this breathtaking chapter of yours. When Hermione hugged Nico from behind the back, it reminded me of the scene in "Naruto" when Sakura hugged Sasuke during their time in the Forest of Death. Personally, I find that Nico is a bit too strong for my liking and that Thalia didn't come up with as many new ways to use her powers. I also like the idea of how the Hunters of Artemis' powers can't increase after they join the hunt. Anyway, please remember to put a period after you use the abbreviated form of 'mister'. That was the only mistake you had in this chapter that I caught. Good luck writing and try not to get writer's block**. **

**Response: Thank you. Heh, funny you should mention that scene from Naruto. It was that scene that inspired me to write the scene with Hermione stopping Nico… even had to go back and watch it a few times.**

**Too strong? I'm sorry hear that, but could you be a bit more specific to why you think so? If he came off as too strong compared to when he fought the Romans, you must keep this in mind: **

**Before fighting the Romans, he expanded his senses to feel Hazel's aura, which took quite a bit of energy. Also, against the Romans, he was up against powerful adversaries with unique and potent abilities and he was on the defence most of the time, having to conserve his energy as much as possible.**

**As for Thalia not coming up with more ways: I know. I had a few more ideas in mind, but overall, the fight against Thalia wasn't that important. It served to let Nico know who attacked his sister and that he has surpassed Thalia in terms of power. Plus putting a bit more light on his relationship with Hermione and planting the thought among the Hunters and Greeks that he might not be kept at Hogwarts against his will. **

**But I'm glad you approve of my idea that after joining the Hunt, their powers can't increase.**

**Ah, the Mr/Mr. You can use both, actually. It all depends on if you write British English or American English. **

**Thank you for taking your time read and review. **

Guest chapter 12 . Oct 6

Love it please update soon.

P.S. let Nico win the fight against Percy

**Response: Thank you. But my update speed isn't going to change much. As for who will win… that is for me to know, and you to read and find out. **

Diekilles chapter 12 . Oct 6

I did enjoy it and I'm glad to see Nico using magic and his powers not just one of them. I'd be interested in hi. Leading about he unforgivable curses and how he reacts. Plus Percy is coming soon :D. I'm w

Sorry hit review before I was done, doing this on a phone is tricky. I was about to ask if Nico will ever use his necromancy abilities on purpose vs when he's mad.

**Response: Well, I guess we have something in common then: I wanting to have Nico incorporate the spells of the wizards into his fighting style when need be. **

**Hmm. Well, he has already, if only theoretical, knowledge of the Killing Curse. If you remember, he brought it up when talking to Seamus and the Patil twins. **

**If he will use his necromantic abilities on purpose: Yes, but I won't give you more spoilers than that.**

**Thank you for taking your time to read and review. **


	14. Chapter 14

**AN 1/2: Ladies and gentlemen. I'm truly honoured and greatly humbled. Chapter 13 got a personal record for reviews: 53 reviews for one chapter. Truly, I'm humbled. Therefore, I would like to give you all a great thank you. And also a great thank you to all who have deemed my little and me worthy of being put on favourite and follow lists.**

**Now, I'm sorry for the delay (not really), but this chapter was, no is, rather important to me. This chapter is more or less one of the founding stones for 'Dark Phoenix'. It is one of the chapters that kick-started, and still does at times, all of my imagination and ideas for this fic, and as such, I wanted to give it an extra bit of attention and love. **

**I will give a warning in advance: Nico might be a bit darker than you are used to. That being said: Please lean back and fasten your seatbelts. Without further ado, here is chapter 14 of 'Dark Phoenix'. **

Chapter 14: The Consequences of Our Actions.

"He is too dangerous to have here."

After the incident with the Hunters of Artemis, and after the articles in the Daily Prophet, most students of Hogwarts had taken to given Nico di Angelo a wide berth, their fear of him clear on their faces. Normally, such behaviour would have aggravated Harry and his friends, but as it were, they found it somewhat relieving, as it meant there was a smaller risk of someone setting Nico off. The change in his demeanour might have seen small, but all who was there three nights ago could clearly tell it was bigger than Nico let on.

Nico was colder than ever, murder burning in the depths of his eyes. Every time he turned his gaze at Harry, Harry wanted nothing more than to run the other way and find somewhere to hide; a sentiment that was shared by the other boys as well.

Still, they kept their feet firmly planted whenever Nico would turn his eyes towards them, despite the chill that went down their spines by his intimidating stare. A look that only got darker in his right eye due to the shiner Ron had inflicted. It was kinda funny to be honest. The moment Nico had woken up, Ron had pleaded with him, begging Nico not to kill him. And it only got even funnier when he did the same with Hermione, begging her not to hex him for hitting her boyfriend.

As it turned out, he needn't had worried. Nico had told him he did the right thing, but his words and eyes were hollow when he said it. As for Hermione: She just told him to use a wand next time or she would hex him into oblivion, causing the redhead to stutter quite profusely from nervousness.

Neville, however, worried greatly. They were in the DA and while they were training defensive spells, Nico di Angelo was going through hand-to-hand and armed combat training against a dummy, much like one used to train policemen. It was animated to fight like it was real human being by the magic of the Room of Requirement. And it was clear by Nico's movements what he was training: To kill with and without weapons. Currently, they were sparring off with swords. And it wasn't wooden swords or latex swords or whatever Neville had heard some Muggles and wizards would use when running around in the forest playing elves and whatnot; no, these swords were the real deal, sharp and deadly.

The Herbology prodigy had asked Nico why he wanted to train with real weapons that could harm him for real if he made a mistake. The answer had been unsettling: "Better not make a mistake then, right?"

That was more than an hour ago, and the only breaks Nico had taken was between each new dummy being provided. Some of them had lost their heads, some had several stab wounds in their chest, back and sides, while others had broken necks or showed other signs of painful incapacitation; most prominent being forceful dislocations of knee, elbow and shoulder joints and broken limbs in general. Still, seeing Nico do it to a dummy and knowing, or at least having an idea of how it must feel like to a real human, made Neville shudder.

The dummy managed to disarm Nico, but when it lunged again, Nico was ready. He caught the dummy's sword arm around the wrist and pulled, before striking the dummy's elbow joint, easily breaking and dislocating it. Nico then kicked the knee of the dummy, making it go down into a semi kneeling position before getting behind it and twisting its head in motion that would snap a man's neck.

A shiver went down Neville's spine. By the way Nico moved it was clear that it was a combination he had made before. And by the speed of it, something told the Longbottom heir that it wasn't just something he had done once or twice. No, it was something Nico had practised so many times it had become close to second nature to him. And that, was something that scared Neville more than Nico's mastery of Black Fire and Umbrakinesis. The fact that the boy in front of him at the mere age of fifteen knew more ways to kill a man than Neville knew charms was unsettling, and it made the Herbology genius wonder about how Nico must have spent his childhood, for he doubted it was playing with small fluffy animals and running around in laughter.

Another dummy appeared and Nico readied himself for another round, and Neville knew this might be his only chance to talk to his fellow Gryffindor lest he wanted another image of a man slaughtered in his mind.

"Nico?" The other boy's head snapped in his direction, clearly surprised someone dared interrupt his training. The coldness in his eyes was almost enough to make Neville lose his courage, but he steeled it and continued on. "I was just wondering if… if you wanted to train with me?"

Nico blinked, as if seeing who was interrupting him for the first time. He had been so far into his training and lost in thoughts of battle that he had completely forgotten that he wasn't alone in the training room. When he visited Camp Half-Blood and went to train in the Arena, no one but a select few dared interrupt. Percy, Leo, the Stolls, Clarisse and Piper and Chiron… those were the only ones brave enough to disturb his training on their own. All others wanted Percy along them, afraid that the son of Hades would blow up on them. Yet, here was a wizard in training, who knew he was no match for Nico, interrupting his training and asking to train with him of his own accord… needless to say, the novelty of the situation threw the son of Hades off-balance, if only for a few seconds. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the Ghost King turned to face the Herbology genius.

"Sure, why not. I believe I owe you a sparring round after all. But before that, I would like if we could train spells for a bit." He sighed at Neville's confused look. "Neville, I have just practised killing for an hour. My mind right now is about seventy-five percent focused on combat, be it fights I have been in or will be in soon. If we went to practise physical combat right now, I wouldn't be able to guarantee your safety; I might become so lost in combat and my thoughts that I would perceive our training as real battle, and I would act like it was real… do you understand what I'm saying, Neville? I might end up killing you, because I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between what I know is real and what my brain and reflexes tell me to do."

Neville swallowed. "Training with spells sounds good."

The son of Hades chuckled, but it held no humour. "Yeah, I thought it would. Besides," His face and voice became serious as he pulled out his wand, prompting Neville to do the same as they took up duelling positions. "I want to test something. And it has to do with your sensing abilities. Be ready to defend yourself."

Neville nodded nervously and readied himself. But just like last time, Nico was the faster of the two, and the pale boy's spell hit him right in the chest, sending him to the floor. With a groan, Neville got back on his feet, taking in Nico's contemplative gaze.

"Did you feel it, Neville?"

The Herbology genius grunted. "Hard not to feel something slamming into you with the force of a Bludger."

Nico sighed "Get ready. Here we go."

Neville nodded and cried out the moment Nico raised his wand. "Protego!" The spell fired by Nico bounced off the force field, surprising Neville. "I did it! I blocked it! I- umpf!"

He was cut off rather rudely when a spell slammed into his left shoulder, sending him to ground once more. The Longbottom heir rose to his feet, growing slightly annoyed when he heard Nico chuckle. "Never lower you defences, Neville. Did you feel it?"

Neville just stared. "Of course I felt it."

Nico just sighed as he positioned his wand again. "Somehow, I rather doubt it Neville. Again."

And so they continued fifteen minutes. Nico would bombard him with spells. Some didn't come close to hitting the Herbology prodigy, others bounced off his shields, and a few tore right through and some others he was glad he dodged. By the end of the fifteen minutes, Neville felt as battered if he had been used as Beater practice for the Weasley twins and he had sweat running down his face and back. And Nico, all the while, was just regarding him with impassive dark eyes. And just like all the other times, once Neville was on his feet, he asked the same question: "Did you feel it?"

Neville opened his mouth to come up with the most scathing retort he could, but one look from Nico and he fell silent. Then the pale boy sighed. "Before we continue, answer me this: Have you figured out the purpose of this training session? Yes or no?"

Whatever irritation Neville had started to feel towards his friend went down the drain, only to be replaced with mass confusion. He knew why he had suggested they spar, but it had never occurred to him that Nico might have some reason behind the relentless pounding. "I—huh?"

The 'exchange student' closed his eyes as if counting to ten. When he spoke, his voice was still calm, but his words just added to Neville's mounting bafflement. "I hear you are a good dancer, Neville. But so far, I haven't seen an elegant dancer in action; what I have seen is clumsy teenager who barely knows right from left. Now tell me: Do you dance well or are those just more rumours?"

Neville frowned deeply. It had taken him a long time to learn how to dance, but even his Gran had praised him for it. Now, hearing one he called a friend belittling that skill of his both hurt him and made him angry, and as such he did something he had promised himself he would never do: He snapped at a friend, though a great amount of confusion could still be heard in his voice.

"What is your point? We are here to learn to fight, not dance."

Nico just cocked an eyebrow. "Exactly. If you already know how to dance, fighting and duelling should be easy for you."

Whatever Neville answer had expected that wasn't it. So he said the only intelligent thing that came to mind. "Huh?"

Once more, the pale boy closed his eyes and muttered something that Neville didn't quite hear, though it was something along the lines of: Not dense on Percy's level yet. When he opened his eyes again, Nico ran a hand through his hair that was getting shaggy, but Neville could hear just a bit of warmth in his voice when spoke.

"Neville, dancing, fighting, be it melee or hand-to-hand and even duelling are not as different as you might think. The purpose between the dance and fighting is different, and so are the styles used when it comes to combat, be it duelling or melee, but they have one thing in common that dictates whether or not you will master the basic. Can you guess what that is?"

Neville just stared. And stared some more, his bewilderment shining on his face. "You lost me."

The son of Hades sighed. "The answer is rhythm, Neville, rhythm. Without rhythm one cannot become an elegant dancer. Likewise, without rhythm, one cannot become a skilled fighter. It is as simple as that." He met Neville's disbelieving gaze and he let out a chuckle. "Think about it. When you dance, you do not move more than absolutely necessary for the steps to be made. You move, fluidly, like a calm steam through the forest. Combat is the same: You do not make unnecessary movement. Doing so is only a waste of energy; energy you will need to keep alive during the current fight or duel and the next after it. Wasting energy is more often than not equal to you ending up death. That is why I kept asking you every time you got hit by those small blasts of energy: I was hoping that with your sensing abilities, you would be able to gauge whether you could ignore the incoming jet or should take action against it. Some of the blasts would, if my guess is right, only have tickled you while others would have thrown you into the wall. I was trying to get you to focus on the energy levels of the beams so you could decide whether to ignore, dodge or block them. With a few exceptions, most that tore through your shield wouldn't have gotten through if you hadn't wasted energy on blocking a less powerful one. Always remember that the best block to a weapon stroke, or a curse, is simply not being in its way. There is no need to waste energy blocking something as small as a minor jinx when you have a small barrage of Stunners and others coming your way. Simply dodge the jinx and focus on the worse ones. Are you following me?"

Neville nodded, though he didn't feel so sure. But now that he thought about it, it did make sense. And he had seen Nico fight and spar. He was graceful like a panther on the prowl, silent and deadly. He didn't, unlike pretty much everyone else in the room, flail his arms and legs like he was on fire or high on sugar. And it was then Neville understood. Nico had never fired a specific spell against him. Rather, it had been raw blasts of energy with varying energy levels. And what Nico had aimed to simulate with that, was the difference between hexes that could be either ignored or sidestepped, spells that should be blocked and curses that would tear right through any shield Neville could cast.

The Herbology genius felt like hitting himself. Hard. For the past fifteen minutes, he had jumped around, flailing like a monkey when all he had to do was focus on the beams of energy coming for him and find out if they should be ignored, blocked or dodged. And from the small smirk on Nico's face, Neville realized that Nico had guessed his thoughts. The shy boy just sighed.

"I sort of hate you right now, you know that? Why in Merlin's name couldn't you just have told what the point of this exercise was to begin with? It would have saved me a lot of bruises."

Nico chuckled; a small bit of his usual friendliness coming back to his eyes. "Because if I did that, you wouldn't think for yourself, you would just follow instructions." He gazed at the students still practicing throwing spells at each other, before turning his gaze towards Neville. "All of you will become great wizards and witches one day. However, if you do not do some of the thinking yourself and only follow what is written in books and what your elders tell you to do, you will only grow to become vague copies of those who came before you. The guidance and orders from those older and more experienced than you are necessary for a new generation to survive, and should never go unheard when you have matured. But those who become truly great are the ones who understand, and succeed, in combining the knowledge and wisdom of old with a new mind."

Neville scratched his neck sheepishly. "Heh, I suppose there is some truth in what you say, but I have never been that great of a philosopher… or thinker. That is more Hermione's turf."

The son of Hades let his eyes wander once more, ignoring what the Herbology genius had said. "When I see all of you gathered here, I cannot deny that I, to some extent, envy your innocence; an innocence that probably won't last much longer. A war is coming, and you will all soon have to make a choice. Will you blindly follow the old generation and thus survive, one way or another, or will you think for yourselves and become beacons for the generations to come? Or will you forever stand in the shadows?" He shook his head, eyes landing once more on Neville. "Now that we have had a little session, and you know what to look for, I trust you will try focusing on the energy levels sent your way in the future, even when you are not sparring with me?"

Neville gave a smile. "I will try at least." Then he let out a chuckle. "Though, I have to admit getting a lesson on philosophy was not what I had mind when I suggested we could spar. " The pale boy raised an eyebrow, silently asking him to explain. Suddenly feeling slightly nervous, Neville rubbed his head. "Well, you have been awfully tense since… you know, that night. I figured you could needed to went and blow off some steam. And the best way I know is blasting something, and I had a feeling that a stationary target would bore you, so I thought 'why not'. Plus, I got some valuable pointers as well."

Nico stared, a look of utter and genuine surprise flashing across his face and in his eyes, if only for a second. That someone would willingly offer to, essentially, being his punching bag when he was in a bad mood was something only Percy had offered before, knowing that, in all likelihood, he could take whatever Nico dished out. All others stayed far away. That someone who hadn't the invulnerability of Achilles would volunteer to be a practice partner simply so he could went was astounding to say the least, and it reignited a small ember of hope in the darkness that was Nico's mind. An ember that was quickly put out by the winter night raging. Still, against his will, the son of Hades found his lips twitch slightly at the nervous Gryffindor.

"You, Neville Longbottom, are full of surprises. I pride myself on being close to impossible to surprise, yet you have done so yet again. I don't know if it is foolishness greater than Harry's or courage that drives your mind and actions, and the line between the two are fine, but it definitely serves to keep me on my toes." He smirked as he readied himself. "Now, are you ready for another round?"

Neville nodded once, filled with determination. Now that he understood what Nico had been trying to do, he tried sensing the energy level of the blasts heading his way. He would be lying if he said that he didn't get hit, but he would cherish every bruise in the morning, for he had made Nico smile again, if only a small one. Admittedly, Hermione beat him to the punch yesterday, but Neville would still say his mission for the evening was accomplished.

00000

"Dear students and staff of Hogwarts." Dumbledore's voice rang out clear in the crisp November air. "As you all know we have had to postpone our annual Quidditch tournament due to some unusual and unprecedented circumstances. But now, the repairs are finished and we are ready to start the game. Fear not for the players: I have taken it upon myself to conjure a force field that will catch any players falling from the brooms. Rolanda, if you would?"

Madam Hooch gave a nod and allowed herself to fall off her broom, thirty feet in the air, eliciting gasps from the student body. Instantly, one foot above the highest jagged rock, a grass coloured force field sprang to life, covering the demolished pitch and when the Flying Instructor hit it, she was bounced back into the air a few times like she had landed on a trampoline. Once she lay still on the force field, she was gently lowered onto the ground below the layer of energy, landing smoothly on her feet, her broom waiting for her. Broom in hand, she marched towards the grate holding the four balls.

"Now that we have seen the players will be safe, unless they fly too close to the ground, we are ready to begin headmaster."

Dumbledore smiled. His little spell had one hitch: If the players were still on their brooms, they could fly right into the ground, which was why the staff had told them to stay three feet above the top of the highest rock. But the staff was also well aware that that would likely be forgotten in the heat of the game, and as such, Madam Pomfrey was present at the stadium. Seeing the fourteen youths twitching on their brooms, eager to begin after such a long break, Dumbledore cried out with childish glee.

"Let the game begin!"

Nico's initial opinion of Quidditch: A pointless game. But even he had to acknowledge the genius of the creators of the Snitch and Bludgers… or at least, the creator of the Snitch. At first, he had refused to go to the opening match of the newly repaired stadium, but the Gryffindor Team, his dorm mates and Hermione had been insistent. And so had some of the younger students, such as the Creevey brothers, so realizing that it was the only way to make them stop begging and whatnot, short of blasting them that is, he had grudgingly followed them to see the match, Gryffindor vs Slytherin.

And he was glad he had. Dumbledore's spell casting was magnificent and easily rivalled some of Hecate and Trivia's children. Plus, he felt his lips twitch when the headmaster mentioned unusual and unprecedented circumstances. 'Heh, I bet. Never had a bunch of demigods duke it out on their grounds for centuries.'

His eyes scanned the air as the game went on. He had found it pointless to begin with, but he could appreciate the tempo of the game and the hidden teamwork of the players. It wasn't just mindless flying around as it had seemed to at first, but carefully hidden tactics. At least on the Gryffindor team. Nico noticed how the Chasers at all times tried to keep an arrowhead formation with one of the Weasleys right behind them, while the other beater would keep within distance to get to a Bludger sent for Harry or Ron. His dark gaze settled on the redheaded Keeper. Ron had been quite a mess that morning, barely eating anything which was saying something about how nervous he was. And his nervousness wasn't helped by the Slytherins' infernal singing; Draco Malfoy being the composer, no doubt.

The son of Hades could easily spot the blonde Slytherin Seeker, so high in the air, hovering as he too searched for the golden ball. Nico grit his teeth and clenched his fingers into a fist. It was so tempting. So tempting to see which was faster: Malfoy's Nimbus 2001 or Nico's fastest long-range attack. All it would take was for Nico's attack to just graze him, and the Slytherin would be reduced into smithereens. All he would need was to raise and point his index- and middle finger, and the brat would be blasted out of the air.

But as big as the temptation was, he knew he couldn't. Firstly, there was no need for his friends and girlfriend to witness such brutality, even though they knew he was capable of it. Nor could he risk hitting innocent bystanders or other players, should the broom prove to be the faster. Lastly, he had given Dumbledore his word that he wouldn't as much as raise a hand against Malfoy with harm in mind. And he intended to keep that promise, no matter what his pride and temptation told him to do.

Nico watched the game as it grew slightly dirtier, all the while resisting the urge to blast the Slytherin Seeker out of the sky and levelling the Slytherin section with the ground. Their singing was grating on his nerves and while he liked Luna well-enough, the roaring of her hat was not helping his mood. Suddenly, both Seekers dived and Nico followed their line of sight, spotting the Snitch near Slytherin's goal posts. He followed their race with calm eyes, taking in every detail in how they moved. Then, Harry caught the elusive golden ball and a second later, Gryffindor's supporters cheered loudly. The next thing, they booed and screamed profanities as one of Malfoy's goons, Crabbe, hit Harry in the lower back with a Bludger, sending him clear off his broom. He was but five or six feet of the ground, but Nico gathered that it would still have hurt hitting the rock and stone if not for the safety force field. As it was, Harry bounced a few feet before coming to an abrupt halt and was carefully lowered to the ground, the Gryffindor team descending to make sure he was okay, though they were whooping in celebration. All but Ron, who had landed near the goal posts and was now trudging towards the locker room. But something else caught Nico's interest: Malfoy, shouting at Harry. The son of Hades couldn't hear what the blonde was shouting, but by the tensing of the Weasley twins, he got a fairly good idea that it involved their family somehow.

Looking to his left, he saw Hermione had already left the stands, no doubt trying to get to Harry and calm him down. With a sigh, Nico melted into the shadows beneath him, startling the people around him.

11111

Harry used to love trampolines. Granted, he had only tried them a few times, but there was something funny about bouncing up and down. Bouncing along like he was used for skipping stones, however, was not quite as fun. Still, better that than the hard rocks. Muttering profanities as he was gently lowered to the ground by the force field, Harry rubbed his aching back, dully taking notice that the Gryffindor Chasers and Beaters were approaching. After assuring his team captain that he was fine, the Boy-Who-Lived only listened with half an ear to Angelina ranting about Crabbe, looking around for his best friend. Unfortunately, he set eyes on Draco Malfoy, white from fury, his words easily reaching Harry's ears.

"You saved Weasley there before it got too embarrassing! I have never seen such a terrible Keeper… then again, he doesn't really grasp anything. Did you like my rhyme, Potter?"

Harry simply ignored him, turning his attention to the rest of his team as they dismounted their brooms, hollering their jubilation. It was then Harry noticed Ron slinking towards the locker rooms, but before he could call out from the hug given to him by Alicia and Katie, the Slytherin Seeker drew their attention once more.

"We wanted to write another couple of verses. But we couldn't find rhymes for fat and ugly… we wanted to sing about his mother, see…"

Angelina simply gave the Slytherin a disgusted look. "Someone is a sorer loser than others."

Draco, however, was not deterred. "…we couldn't fit in useless loser either… for his father, you know…"

Harry realized that Fred and George were now aware of what Draco was shouting; their handshake tightened until it was almost painful and they went rigid as they turned towards Malfoy, prompting Angelina to grasp Fred's arm.

"Don't! Don't Fred. Just let him sulk, he is pissed because he lost that conceited little…"

Draco was practically gloating now. "But you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter? Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you can stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasley's hovel smells okay…"

Harry gripped George, knowing full well that he might not be able to hold the older boy as it took the combined efforts of the three Chasers to restrain Fred. He looked around for Madam Hooch, but she was still yelling at Crabbe for his attack with the Bludger, but at least Hermione was hurrying towards them. At this point, Harry didn't care who, just he could get some help.

"George, don't. He is not worth it."

"Or perhaps, "Malfoy taunted as he was backing up. "You remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it…"

Harry didn't register letting go of George. Nor did he remind himself that all of the teachers would be looking. The only thing on his mind just then and there was that he wanted to hear Malfoy scream from pain. Or at least, that was his intentions. He and the tall redhead had barely taken a step each when they felt themselves immobilized, freezing them in spot. His rage fogged mind barely processed it, and what it meant, before a hand clamped down on his shoulder with a grip tighter than a vice, its owner speaking with a voice that promised pain if disobeyed.

"Enough."

It was an order, both boys knew, and every thought of protest Harry might have had in mind died when Nico's grip tightened just a fraction more, eliciting a small gasp of pain from the mouth of the Gryffindor Seeker. The son of Hades gazed coldly at Draco whose hauteur had drained from his face faster than his broom could fly, fear plain for all to see.

"Get out of my sight, Malfoy."

Draco almost bolted, but then he saw the slight twitch of Nico's fingers and the black fire that died out with it. It was then that the Malfoy heir remembered that di Angelo had made a deal with the old Headmaster. He felt himself smirking. Clearly, di Angelo feared getting kicked out of Hogwarts and losing the old fool's protection. And seeing him restraining Potter and one of the Weasley twins while keeping his temper in check was proof of that.

Malfoy chuckled gleefully, knowing that he was safe. "And why should I, di Angelo? My father told me all about the bargain you were forced to strike with the Headmaster. You can't afford to harm me."

Harry, who had been trembling under Nico's grip, stilled completely, not believing his ears. Bargain or no bargain, he wouldn't push his luck where Nico was concerned. And the pale boy's cold words only affirmed that belief.

"You are on thin ice, Malfoy. I swore to Headmaster Dumbledore that I wouldn't raise a hand against you. I intend to honour that promise, but don't test me."

Draco faltered for a moment, but then he sneered when Hermione caught up with the group, placing a calming hand on Harry as Finnigan and Thomas stepped up to restrain the Weasley twin just as the Slytherin team came to stand behind him. And as the shadows keeping both Weasel and Potter subsided to their usual place on the hard ground, and knowing that the entire stadium was now watching the stand-off, he gave di Angelo a snide smile.

"Don't threaten people when you are in no position to do so, di Angelo. Surely you have learned that much? Guess not. Why don't you go back to doing your little Mudblood lover there?"

Shadows flared to life once more, this time to restrain the enraged Gryffindors, shouting and thrashing against their bonds as the Slytherin Quidditch team laughed. Montague, the captain for Slytherin, was almost doubled over laughing.

"This is too much! A Gryffindor restraining his House members in their anger! Could it be that he agrees with Draco?"

This brought on another round of laughter and outraged cries. It was all stopped with just one cold word:

"Silence."

Once more, the coldness of Nico's voice brooked no room for argument. His eyes swept over the Slytherins before settling once more on Draco, and Harry knew that Nico's patience, whatever there was left of it, was reaching its end. And what was worse, was the faint reddish hue in his normal dark eyes. And Harry knew that the calmness of Nico's words belied his fury. But even he was shocked when Nico spoke.

"You might be right when you say that Hermione's blood is dirty compared to yours." He held up a hand, instantly silencing any outraged cries from the Gryffindors before giving Hermione a small smile, taking notice of the hurt in her face. He carried on, voice still calm. "However, beneath mud, dirt and dust, you find diamonds. They are precious stones that endure time and hardships of the world, never losing value. A single diamond, even the smallest one, can bring great happiness to an entire family and food to the starving child. A diamond, even in its rawest form, can be used to build foundations and strengthen buildings, making them almost impregnable. You would never understand a diamond's value, Malfoy, for you are its opposite. You are a glass sculpture. It is made by humans and can be very beautiful in the eyes of its creator. It is, however, fragile and easy to break. And once it's broken its value drop to almost nothing to all, but for its creator. In some cases, even if it has only sustained a minor damage, the glass sculpture gets discarded and will forever be forgotten by its owners and their family. Compared to a diamond, which might pass down in history as priceless, even it's only in the history of the family it saved."

He stroke Hermione's cheek gently, before glancing at Malfoy. "Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you, Malfoy? You call Hermione a Mudblood as something derogatory. What you fail to realize, is that beneath all of her so-called mud, something truly priceless and beautiful lies. Compared to you, who are as transparent and worthless as glass. If the choice stood between picking between a transparent and fragile glass sculpture and a rough and uneven clump of rock and mud, I would choose the clump of rock any day a week, since there is a good chance it will hold a priceless diamond or something other truly valuable." A tiny smirk graced Nico's lips. "Also, unlike you, I have a girlfriend. Keep up that attitude of yours, and the only girls you will get will be the ones in the magazines. If your daddy wants to buy the catalogues for you, that is." He snuck an arm around the shoulder of a now smiling and misty-eyed Hermione before addressing the Gryffindors. "Let's go. The glass sculptures over there are hardly worth a glance."

Laughing loudly at the verbal beating Draco Malfoy had gotten after running his mouth, all of the Gryffindors turned around and started walking away. Harry and the Weasley twins still wanted to beat Malfoy to a bloody pulp, but Malfoy had just been dragged through the mud by a guy who had a far sharper tongue than he. Harry might not have gotten to beat up Malfoy, but the look of utter rage and humiliation on his face was more than enough to make up for it. Harry's good mood, however, was brought to a rather abrupt halt when Malfoy spoke in low voice.

"Your sisters were right, di Angelo. No could ever love you. Tell me, where are they? I would love to meet them. C'mon, introduce them to a real man."

You could have heard pin drop to the ground despite the blowing wind. Slowly, ever so slowly, Nico untangled himself from Hermione and turned around to face the Malfoy heir, and when his eyes landed on Draco, the blonde was seized by horror and he and all the other students who saw Nico's eyes and face started shaking. Nico's eyes were glowing red and his face was a mask of utter fury. And Harry instantly knew that agreement or no, consequences be damned, Nico was not about to let Draco go unpunished for this insult.

When Nico spoke, his words were no more than a whisper, but each syllable carried his anger and bloodlust through the wind like a hot knife through butter.

"You have irked me one too many times, Malfoy. Your mere presence and arrogance disgusts me. You thrive on and enjoy the pain and misery of others. You like pain and misery? Well then, I know just the right place for you."

"Y-y-you can't! You m-m-mustn't!" Harry almost felt sorry for Draco as his fear was clear in his voice as he stammered. "You can't! Y-y-ou agreed not to h-h-arm me! Please, no!"

Nico's voice was cold and unrelenting as his malicious red eyes bore into the terrified grey ones of the Malfoy heir. "Go to Hell, Malfoy. Go to Hell."

It happened in the fraction of a second. The ground at Malfoy's feet ripped open like a hungry predator and it swallowed a terrified and screaming Draco Malfoy in one bite. And as Draco fell down the gullet of the earth, he continued screaming and crying.

It could have been seconds. It could have been minutes or even hours. Draco didn't know, and he didn't care; he was too terrified as he fell. Suddenly, the air grew hotter, almost unbearable hot, and Draco smashed into the ground. Groaning, the Malfoy heir found that every part of his body hurt, meaning that, somehow, he was still alive. Wiping his tears away, he opened his eyes and slowly, ever so slowly, he rose to his feet to take in his surroundings. Instantly, he wished he hadn't. For what he saw was likely to haunt him for the rest of his life.

He stood on a ridge covered with a black grass and a tree, a poplar if Draco's Herbology knowledge served him right. Behind him, an area as big as millions of Quidditch stadiums were packed with shadowy figures, milling aimlessly around. The area was in total darkness with no light but the enormous stalactites glowing faintly grey so high above him that Draco almost forgot he was underground. A warm and moist wind was blowing, making the blonde Slytherin think of a swamp.

Swallowing, he let his eyes wander to what was in front of him, and he felt he might be sick. It was a vast wasteland, filled with rivers of lava and several miles of barbed wire. Far worse than that though, were the sight, sound and smells. Draco had heard about what the Death Eaters did and seen pictures of torture before in books and newspapers. Seeing it, hearing it and smelling it from a front row, however, was something completely different. He could see people being chased by what was best described as monstrous hounds and could hear them scream as they were caught and bit into; others were being burned at a stake and some were being forced to run through cactus patches without any sort of protection.

Draco felt like he might be sick and his breath came in small gasps. All his life, he had heard what the Knights of Walpurgis and the Dark Lord had tried to for their society: Ensuring the supremacy of the pureblood wizards over those who were them inferior. He remembered the Quidditch World Cup last year. How those Death Eaters had walked through the tents, playing with those Muggles. He remembered growing up with stories about how blood traitors and Mudbloods got what they deserved and him agreeing whole heartily. Now, taking in the scenes of torture and death, he felt absolutely horrified. This was what the Knight of Walpurgis did to other human beings? It was wrong. It was horrible.

Voice weak, he continued staring into the fiery wasteland, speaking to himself. "Where am I?"

"Where? You're in Hell, of course."

Draco would recognize that voice anywhere and whatever colour he had in his face instantly vanished as he turned towards the poplar. True to his suspicions, Nico di Angelo was there, leaning calmly against the tree trunk with crossed arms. However, he was not dressed in Gryffindor colours like he had been when on the surface. He looked exactly like the Boggart version of him, down to the red eyes and malicious smirk. And unlike Draco, he seemed perfectly calm despite the horrible screams.

Draco tried steeling his nerves and gave Nico the hardest glare he could muster. "My… My father will have you thrown into Azkaban for this! Let… let me out and you shall be spared the suffering!"

Nico just chuckled darkly. "Trying to boss me around, to intimidate me in my home? I don't think so, Draco." Amusement and mockery settled onto his face as he spoke again. "You really think your father or Azkaban scare me, Malfoy?" He tossed his head towards the fiery wasteland. "I once spend an entire month down there, twenty fours each day, just to harden my resolve and willpower in order to become immune to some of the most powerful and persuasive voices my old school has."

The son of Hades laughed at the terrified look the Malfoy heir was giving him. "What's the matter, Draco? Are you scared? I thought you would jump in joy at the chance to see real pain and suffering in the big boys' league." His lips twisted into a furious snarl. "Pain… suffering… you know nothing of that. You don't even know the meaning of the words. But you will when I'm through with you. Oh yes, you will know."

Before Draco could open his mouth to scream and beg, Nico lunged forward, grabbing the Slytherin's arm and whisked him through the shadows. When they reappeared, they were standing in the middle of the Fields of Punishment. Nico held out his arms as if he was a guide on a museum, and Draco gasped at what he saw. A man was pushing a stone up a steep hill, but as he neared the top, it rolled back down. And Draco watched as he tried and failed at the task three times in row.

"Yes," Nico chuckled beside him. "What you see here is their sentence. They will endure their tasks for all eternity." He looked at Draco with an evil glint in his eyes. "You are used to be able to eat and drink whenever you want, are you not? Take a look at one who is not so fortunate then. Behind you."

Draco reluctantly turned. What he saw made him drop his mouth in shock. A man was standing in the middle of a lake, a fruit tree's branches above him. He sure looked hungry and thirsty. But whenever he reached for the fruit above his head, the tree would raise its branches, bringing the food out of reach. And when he lowered himself to drink from the lake, the water would recede. Draco felt his mouth go dry.

"But sure-surely he will get some to drink and eat at some time, right?"

Nico let out a chuckle. "No. He will try to get some of that fruit and water for the rest of eternity, every twenty-four hours, day and night, without any rest. Let's move on, shall we?"

Draco whimpered, but he wasn't given much of a time as Nico once again grasped his arm and they travelled through the shadows. When Draco opened his eyes again, he screamed. Loudly. In front of him were men and women being burned on stakes, forming a circle around a man bound to a flaming solar wheel. Beside him, Nico grinned.

"This might interest you. He, like the two others you saw, was kings once. And all of them have one thing in common with you: They too played with and insulted people of greater power than themselves. They are condemned to suffer for their arrogance for all eternity." He turned his burning stare towards the blonde who seemed to have run out of tears to shed. Once more, he grasped his arm and he spoke with a voice full of ice. "Just one more lesson, Malfoy, just one more lesson to make sure you understand pain."

"Please… no more… please… I will do anything you want… please, I'm begging you."

The son of Hades responded to his pleading by giving him an cold look and grasping his arm in an iron grip before taking him through the shadows once more. They reappeared on the same ridge they had before, and Draco instantly dropped to his knees. Taking in his surroundings, he gazed quizzically at Nico.

"I thought you… I thought you wanted me to show something more?"

Nico just chuckled as he crossed his arms over his skeleton-like armour. "For you to understand what pain are… you will have to feel it yourself. And I know just the ones to teach you."

Malfoy's voice was barely above a whimper. "No… please… no… please, no!"

Nico laughed before calling out. "Alecto! Megaera! Tisiphone!"

Draco didn't know who di Angelo was calling. And when he found out, he wished he hadn't. They were women. Women with leathery wings like bats, claws instead of nails and mouths filled with yellowy fangs and glowing eyes. The monsters looked at him for only a second before looking at Nico, the one in the middle speaking in a slightly hoarse voice. "You called, my Lord?"

Nico nodded once. "I have summoned you here, Alecto, to teach that brat there about pain. You are the true masters of the art, and I want him to learn from the best." A feral smile split his face. "I leave him in your capable hands ladies. But don't go overboard. I want him able to stand and conscious."

Alecto cackled as her sisters hauled Draco to his feet, completely ignoring Draco's screams for mercy. "You flatter us, my prince. We will see it done."

Nico just smiled as Alecto moved behind Draco, her sisters keeping him in place. "He is all yours ladies. Have fun."

The three Furies let out truly gleeful cackles and the moment Draco opened his mouth to speak, a scream was ripped from his throat as his back flared with pain. Barely had he stopped screaming before the next blow fell and Draco was howling in misery once more. Time blurred for the young Malfoy, and he barely registered the foul lady-like creatures swapping places and that they used a whip with small beads on it to tear his back apart. Just as blissful darkness started claiming him, di Angelo's voice cut through it, bringing him back.

"Stop." Instantly the whipping stopped and Draco got a chance to catch his breath. He was on his knees, the Furies still holding him in place, and Nico squatted down till they were on eyelevel. Taking hold of his chin, Nico forced Draco to look him into the eyes. "Have you learned your lesson yet, Malfoy? Do you now understand the meaning of pain?"

Tears streaming down his cheeks, every breath burning his lungs, Draco managed to sob out. "Yes. Please… no more… no more… please… please, I'm begging you… no more."

Nico nodded and stood, the Furies pulling Draco to his feet again. "I believe you, Draco. And it only took twenty-one strokes with their mildest whip. So I dismiss you from this lesson." He leaned closer so that he could whisper into Draco's right ear, making sure he heard him despite the pain clogging his mind. "I don't think that I need to tell you to never reveal anything, in any way, about what transpired down here, do I? If you do… all of this… will become your reality."

Before Draco could fully process Nico's words, the other boy pulled back and faster than Draco had ever seen his father drawing his wand, Nico pulled out his dark sword and ran him through with it.

11111

"Go to Hell, Malfoy. Go to Hell."

Harry didn't know what he expected to happen after those words left Nico's mouth. He thought that maybe, insane as the thought was, that the ground would swallow Malfoy. What he didn't expect, was for all colour to leave Malfoy's face and his eyes to widen to the point one could see the blood vessels in them. He opened his mouth in a silent scream that Harry was sure would have chilled his blood. Then, a wet spot grew on Malfoy's trousers, but Harry didn't really take notice of it as Malfoy's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the ground, face down.

All of this happened three seconds after Nico stopped talking. Harry looked at Malfoy's prone form for a few seconds, deaf to the screams and yells around him, before glancing at Nico. Instantly, he wished he hadn't.

Nico's eyes were no longer viciously scarlet, but Harry could still see the cruelty in them. He looked at Draco's prone form again, barely noticing how the other students were being sent back to Hogwarts by the teachers as Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Umbridge rushed towards them. Harry had seen Nico about to kill a warrior in his wrath, but Malfoy was no warrior, and yet Nico had crushed him ruthlessly. Harry didn't know how Nico had done it, and frankly, didn't care. Admittedly, Harry had been furious with Malfoy for what he had said, but the Boy-Who-Lived still thought that what Nico had done, whatever it was, had been over the top compared to what Harry and twins would have done.

Harry was starting to see a new layer to Nico, and for the first time, he was genuinely afraid of the boy. It was hard for him to believe that the one who had so ruthlessly crushed Malfoy was the same boy who had formed a strange friendship with Neville and acting as Transfiguration tutor for the younger students. It was unsettling how fast Nico had gone from being a warm, supportive and quick-witted friend, to cold and ruthless.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, YOU MONSTER?!"

Nico cocked his head, looking at the Slytherin girl with disinterest, Pansy something if memory served him right. "Monster, eh? I showed him some monsters all right. Though at times, I only wish they weren't real."

Snape glowered at Nico before turning to Albus, hovering over Draco as if to protect him from further harm. "Draco is alive, Headmaster."

At this, Nico right out scoffed as he crossed his arms. "Of course he is, Professor Snape. I kill soldiers and warriors, not stupid brats. I simply gave him a taste of what he is really dealing with. It is not my fault he has a weak mind and stomach."

At this, Umbridge exploded. "That is it! I will not tolerate his presence here any longer, Dumbledore! He is a danger to all students here! I—"

The Headmaster held up a hand for silence before looking at Nico with a mix of anger and disappointment. "I'm very disappointed, Nico. We had an agreement. I have no choice. For the sake of my students, I cannot allow you to stay at Hogwarts."

Nico's reaction was not what Harry and Hermione expected. He chuckled and met Dumbledore's gaze calmly. "Then I guess it is too bad you will have to uphold your end of the bargain, Headmaster. I'm not going anywhere, per our agreement."

Umbridge was fuming. "What are you talking about, you insufferable little…"

The son of Hades just smiled coldly. "Simple: I swore that I would not jinx, hex or curse Draco Malfoy into oblivion, nor would I use Dark Hellfire, Ghost Fire or my control over the shadows to punish him for his transgressions. I swore that I wouldn't as much as raise a hand to cause him harm in exchange for being allowed to stay at Hogwarts. That was the agreement. And as I'm sure you all saw, I did nothing of the aforementioned. In other words, I have kept my part of the deal. According to the Founding Laws, made by the Founders of Hogwarts, if the Headmaster makes an agreement with an outsider, and the outsider upholds his part of the bargain, even if the deal was only a verbal, the Headmaster or Headmistress who made the agreement is forced to honour it. And the succeeding headmaster or headmistress can't negate it. Am I wrong, Headmaster?"

"Dumbledore, this is outrageous! I will not stand by and watch innocent children suffer because of some outdated rules!"

Dumbledore, however, just sighed. He had forgotten about Snape's reports about Nico being an accomplished Legilimens. He had forgotten that Nico was no ordinary fifteen-years-old. That the teenager would attack Draco through his psyche hadn't even crossed his mind. A mistake on his part that Draco now paid for. Dumbledore looked into Nico's eyes; startling blue meeting deep black and he didn't even need try using Legilimency to know that the youth's mental shields were up at full strength. But the boy's eyes told him one thing: He had no regret and felt no remorse about what he had done to Draco, and Albus found himself brutally reminded of Lord Voldemort in his school years: Smart and ruthless. He was starting to second guess the wisdom in keeping di Angelo on Hogwarts, but the boy had done his homework. Albus found himself with no choice but to learn from his mistakes and negligence. And from now on, Dumbledore would be keeping an even tighter eye on Nico.

"It is out of my hands, Professor Umbridge. Nico is right. I can't break my end of the bargain as he has not. And like I reminded you and the Minister not so long ago, one cannot change or revoke the Founding Rules. If he wants to stay, there is nothing we can do to deny him that right." He turned his gaze to Nico. "But be warned Nico: Do not exploit the hospitality of Hogwarts and immunity you have been granted. Past glory does not excuse recent nor future violations."

Nico gave a tight nod. "I understand, Headmaster Dumbledore. And I will give you my word, with all present as my witnesses, that I will not seek to cause Draco anymore harm while he or I'm are at Hogwarts this school year. He suffered the reprisals for insulting me and my family, and I trust that he has learned from it. And as a token of my goodwill, I will tell you this: I used what you call Legilimency to plant an illusion in his mind, showing him pain in accordance with our agreement. The illusion was mild compared to what others have suffered, and he should be conscious within the hour. He might need some Sleepless Draught for a few weeks, but aside from nightmares, no lasting harm has been done to his mind. I swear it on my honour." He tilted his head for moment before nodding, though it was mostly to himself. "Lastly, as there would be no way to deny my guilt in Draco's state, I will submit to whatever punishment for my actions you decide on, Headmaster."

Dumbledore regarded Nico for moment before nodding. "Very well. I will subtract 100 points from Gryffindor and assign you detention until the end of January. Moreover, with the exception of detentions, you will not leave Gryffindor Tower after dinner."

Nico nodded. "Understood Headmaster."

Suddenly, Umbridge smiled. "Pardon me, Headmaster, but I find that punishment to be too lax." Her smile widened as she found a piece of parchment in her purse. "As you might remember, Dumbledore, you overruled me when you allowed the Gryffindor team to reform despite my disapproval? Well, I couldn't let that pass, so I contacted the Minister and he whole-heartily agreed with me that the High Inquisitor should have full authority to remove privileges from the students, otherwise she - that means I – won't rank higher in authority than the rest of the staff." She turned to Nico. "So… I think I will assign you—"

Harry felt his breath hitch, but his worry was not shared by Nico who looked borderline bored. "Allow me to stop you right there, Madam Umbridge. You have no say in my punishment."

The High Inquisitor just smiled and let out a small laugh. "But I do, Mr. di Angelo. Here, allow me to read for you: The High Inquisitor will henceforth have supreme authority over all punishments, sanctions and removal of privileges pertaining to the students of Hogwarts, and the power to alter such punishments, sanctions and removals of privileges as may have been placed by other staff members." She smiled at him again. "I'm well in right to change any punishment the staff, even the Headmaster, may deem appropriate for your transgressions."

Nico nodded, almost lazily. "That might be true and all… but it doesn't change the fact that since I made a deal with Headmaster and haven't openly violated it, only the Headmaster can decide on a compensation. Founding Law by Salazar Slytherin. Now, if that would be all, I bid you all a good day."

With that Nico turned and calmly walked away, completely ignoring the shouting and arguing he left behind.

00000

The following weeks, as November turned to early December, things were tense at Hogwarts. Draco had, as Nico had promised, regained consciousness within the hour, but Nico's stunt had all but been forgotten. Only the group who stuck with him after the Boggart incident and the Creevey brothers and a few younger students he tutored were sticking up for Nico now. The rest of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were terrified of him and were whispering behind his back. Slytherins were muttering threats at him and his friends, but even the seventh years of the Snake House dared not raise their wand against Nico or those he called friends. And Draco Malfoy seemed to have learned not to mess with Nico in any way. He had yet to make one snide remark or cause any trouble for anyone. Whenever Nico was anywhere near him, he would turn pale and try making himself as small as possible.

Though, even among their little group, things were far from perfect. Since she had failed at getting Nico, Umbridge had decided on venting her anger at Harry and the Weasley twins. On the pretext of how they had behaved before Nico intervened, she had banned the three of them from Quidditch again and had confiscated their brooms. She had, subtly of course, hinted at the ban only lasting the rest of the year if they would swear before the Minister that Nico's attack on Malfoy was unprovoked.

Harry had, as ashamed as he was to admit it, considered it for a brief moment. But then he remembered the words on his hand: 'I must not tell lies.' Well, Umbridge should be proud he remembered her lesson, but when he cited that lesson to her, she was not amused and had given him a week of detention. The Weasley twins had been two weeks each, but that was mostly because they told her and the rest of the teachers that in their opinion, Malfoy only got what he deserved.

But what really troubled the group, however, was the argument between Nico and Hermione. She was deeply troubled that he didn't feel even a tiny bit of remorse about doing what he did to Draco. His response: Malfoy needed to be taught a lesson. But if it could comfort Hermione, he regretted having to teach that lesson, as Draco should have realized that fire can burn you during one of their earlier encounters. Likewise, he regretted that Hermione had witnessed it.

Needless to say, Hermione had not been pleased, but after a few days to cool down on each part, they were seen together again, kissing in public, much to Ron's chagrin. He had told them, though Harry figured it was meant more on Nico, that he didn't want to see them kissing. Nico had let out a lazy drawl and told Ron that if he didn't want to see them kissing, then he shouldn't look.

Harry shook his head as he and his friend walked the bank of the Black Late, barely taking notice of all the other students running around, having the first snowball fights. But he decided to focus when Dean asked.

"So, what are you guys doing for Christmas holidays? I'm staying at Hogwarts."

Seamus nodded. "Same here. Ma won't like it, spends too much time around Nico she says, so I figure we can both use some time to cool down."

Neville shuffled his feet. "I'm going home to Gran this time around."

Hermione smiled. "I'm going skiing with my parents."

Harry smiled. "Sounds great guys. What about you Nico? Got any plans?"

A shadow fell over Nico's face and he spoke in low voice, sadness in every word. "I haven't celebrated Christmas since my mother died." He took in their shocked faces, and decided to answer before they could ask. "And then Bianca was killed pretty much before our first Christmas together. And my father isn't really the type of guy who celebrates Christmas. As a matter of fact, he only celebrated Christmas with us because of my mother's insistence." He sighed. "My cousin and his mother have invited me over once or twice, but I have always been too busy and too pained to celebrate."

Harry and the rest of the group winced. Their friend truly had a rough past and some terrible luck. "I'm sorry Nico."

Nico just shook his head and waved his hand. "Don't be Harry. You didn't know." He turned towards Ron. "What about you Ron? Got any plans for Christmas?"

The redhead smiled, though uncertainly. "Not quite sure. My family is—" he wrinkled his nose as there was a shift in the wind. "Is that gasoline?"

They all stilled and sniffed. True enough, there was a strong odour of gasoline in the air. Harry frowned. Of all the things, he had never expected to smell gasoline at Hogwarts. On his left, Neville had gone pale. But even more disconcerting, in Harry's book at least, was that on his right Nico had tensed up like a spring. Neville was the first to speak, having looked over his shoulder, and it did nothing to ease Harry's nerves.

"Oh no… not again."

Behind them, another voice, a slightly deep voice, carried softly in the wind. "Hello Nico. It has been quite a trip to find you… cousin."

Harry, Hermione, and the four other original Gryffindor boys whirled around as they took in who addressed their friend, just as everyone who was within earshot and sight did. It was four teenagers, three boys and one girl. And much to Harry's dismay, even if it was only a small part of him that registered the fact, they were all taller than him, even the girl. They all wore pretty much the same kind of clothes. Boots made for wandering and something that was a mix of a cloak and a jacket, optimal for bad weather and fighting.

The tallest was obviously the leader as he stood in front. He had black hair and bright sea green eyes and Harry somewhat felt he was staring into a mirror… if he was older and taller and, in all likelihood, more buff. He looked around eighteen-nineteen years old and he looked like a skater and a troublemaker.

On his right was the girl. She too looked like she was around eighteen-nineteen, with curly blonde hair in a ponytail and grey eyes.

Closest on the leader's left was a guy, also eighteen-nineteen, leaning on his crutches. His skin was Caucasian with curly brown hair and brown eyes that darted nervously around, though Harry had a feeling that his nerves could be more steely if need be.

The last guy stood next to the one with the crutches and he seemed like the youngest of them, about seventeen-eighteen. If Santa Claus had Latino elves, he would be their poster child; he even had slightly pointy ears. He had curly dark hair and deep brown eyes that Harry guessed normally would sparkle with mischief and look like he had taken more caffeine than what could be considered healthy. He was slim and of average build and height, but Harry had a feeling he was more than a match for him. The Gryffindor Seeker looked around and saw that they were starting to gather quite a crowd, but he couldn't spot anyone running for the castle and the teachers. But then, Nico's voice caught his attention as the other boy turned around to greet the newcomers, a faint reddish hue in his eyes.

"Hello Percy. Leo. Grover… Chase."

There was a sharp intake of breath from the fifth year Gryffindor boys, all of them paling slightly as they all had the same thought: If the girl was Annabeth Chase, the same Annabeth Chase whose name Nico had cursed that night, things were likely to turn ugly. The leader, who Harry guessed to be Percy since he was the one Nico had addressed first, stepped forward, hands hidden in the sleeves of the cloak, something that didn't went unnoticed by Nico and the others. Despite the look directed at him, Percy spoke in the same calm and soft voice as before.

"Nico… we need to talk. And I think you would prefer it if we did it somewhere else. Alone."

The son of Hades just smiled a sardonic smile. "Talk? About what, dear cousin? I trust you didn't track me all the way to Scotland just to talk. But let me guess: You want me to apologize for hurting those annoying Hunters, and then you need my help with something?"

The son of the Earthshaker was slightly taken aback by Nico's almost hostile voice, and his mind instantly whirled back to his talk with Annabeth and Thalia a few weeks ago, and it sent Percy's mind reeling in all directions, the majority of them being most unpleasant. His thoughts were such a jumbled mess of questions and possible answers that might be given, that he latched onto the only direction he could: Answering Nico's questions.

"Yes. I would very much like to hear why you would attack them. I thought you had moved on from Bianca's death; had moved past your grudge against them. And you are right, we need your help. Nico, enemies are closing in on Camp. They appear to be –"

"Romans? I already know all about that."

Percy was left gobsmacked. Nico had spoken with absolute boredom in his voice, meaning the news of Roman demigods and their plans wasn't anything new to him. "You already know? For how long have you known?"

Nico snorted. "Since the defeat of our last big enemy. We were told that his headquarters tumbled after his defeat, right? I got curious and decided to investigate." He chuckled. "The Mist was heavily woven, but I managed to dispel it to see clearly. What I found was the aftermath of a battle, the dead and wounded being carried away by eagles. They were dressed like old Roman legionnaires. Long story short, I knocked out one of the soldiers, borrowed his armour and hitchhiked a ride to the other Camp: Camp Jupiter. I snuck around a bit to find out where I was, before Shadow-travelling back to the battlefield and returning the borrowed armour. In an hour, I had learned what had happened, the camp's structure and its leaders and its location, and was out of there without anyone being the wiser."

Once more, Percy was left speechless. Nico had known about the Roman demigods for around three years and never told anyone. What was even worse was the fact that he didn't even seemed to care about the approaching Roman attack, and from the sounds of it, he had no intention of helping them. Once more, Annabeth's words rang in his mind: _You have to face the possibility that Nico has turned against Camp and that you will have to face him in battle if it comes down to it_.

The son of Poseidon had spent every waking hour and some even asleep, thinking about those words as they approached Hogwarts. He didn't want to think about it and its implications as it meant that Nico had turned…

"You knew about the Romans all this time and you never told us?! You were the spy! Traitor!"

Percy was brought out of his thoughts by his girlfriend's angry shout, though it also carried a great deal of hurt, disbelief and a feeling of betrayal in it. All around them, people looked shocked and Percy really hoped they could move this conversation somewhere else. But before he could voice that concern, or reprimand his girlfriend, Nico's calm voice cut through the air; eerie and dangerous.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." His voice might be low, but the red in his eyes spoke of his anger and of danger. "After all, you have known for some time as well, haven't you, Chase? You have been near Camp Jupiter before, and you alongside Thalia and the Hunters, attacked a girl: My little sister." Annabeth had gone deadly pale and her eyes moved from Nico to Percy and back. The son of Poseidon was not faring much better. Nico laughed. "Just as I thought: You haven't told him, have you? What is the matter, Chase?"

Percy's mind was running amok. Too many thoughts, torn between who he should and wanted to believe… too much chaos. So he settled for something he knew: Anger. "Enough, both of you! These baseless accusations aren't helping anyone!"

Nico's eyes got even redder as his voice lowered to a dangerous hiss. "Baseless accusations? I think not." His right arm went into his cloak and in a flash, he tossed whatever he grasped in one of his pockets in Percy's direction, the object was embedded in the ground between the feet of the son of Poseidon. "Looks familiar to you?"

Percy could only stare at the object he pulled it out of the ground. "This is…"

Nico nodded. "Chase's dagger. It still has the blood of my sister on it."

The son of Poseidon stared at the dagger in disbelief. He remembered Annabeth complaining about the Stolls stealing her beloved dagger. Yet here it was. He looked at Nico, his voice barely above a whisper. "How… why…"

Nico snorted. "I got that blasted knife alongside some other evidence through the Romans' leader." He smiled at Percy's shocked look. "Oh yes, he was here. He too had figured out I was a spy, though, just like Chase there, he had my reasons wrong." He chuckled. "Did you know, Percy, that almost every time a conflict between your Camp and the Romans has arisen, it has been because of Chase's siblings instigating it? All because of an old grudge over a thing long past lost."

Percy wordlessly handed over Annabeth's dagger, disbelief and betrayal in his eyes. It broke Annabeth's heart. "Percy… I'm so sorry. I…"

Percy shook his head, cutting her off. His thoughts and emotions were still in disarray, but once more anger saved him. He and Annabeth would need to talk about this; oh yes, they would definitely talk about this… later. Right now, Nico was his main priority. He would deal with him as he saw fit, depending on his answers.

"And what were you reasons for spying?"

Nico's eyes flashed, belying his anger, his eyes now completely red. "Simple: I wanted to keep my family safe. Every time the two Camps meet, it ends in bloodshed. I was not about to lose my little sister in a senseless civil war."

Percy looked taken aback before speaking with a calm voice, even if it was forced. "Why didn't you bring her to Camp, then? If you had, we could have protected her. We could…"

"Protected her?! And let her suffer the same prejudice I have?! Let her be attacked in the middle of the night like I was?!" Nico was shouting now, for all the gathered students of Hogwarts to hear, but he didn't care. "No matter where my siblings and I go, we are met with scorn, ridicule and disgust! All because of whom our father is! We work so hard to gain acceptance by others, but even after saving people's lives and triumph on the field of battle, it isn't enough! For a time things seems to lighten up, but then they remember who we are the sons and daughters of while conveniently forgetting what we have done! No matter how hard we fight to protect the place we want to call home, the people we call friends, all that matters to people is who our father is!"

Percy was shocked. True, he knew that not all at Camp Half-Blood were happy when Nico was around, but he had not expected things to be so bad. He felt like he had just been trampled by an angry rhino. What kind of friend was he? Nico had been suffering for so long, yet it had never occurred to him. His voice lowered to a whisper, his anguish true

"I'm sorry Nico… for everything. For how you have been treated… for not picking up on it. I feel like I don't deserve calling myself your friend, let alone your cousin. But please, come back to Camp Half-Blood. Let's talk about this. Nico, please… I'm sorry for not picking up on it sooner, but now that you have told me…. I want to make amends. I'm sorry you have suffered for so long, but let us talk about it… I understand your pain…"

Wrong thing to say. Nico's eyes flashed, and this time, they were practically glowing with barely contained rage. His voice lowered to a deadly whisper; a whisper that was even more dangerous than his shouting.

"You… understand my pain? My suffering?" His voice rose once more and he seemed to glow with an almost ghostly light as his fury broke completely free, cracks appearing in the ground beneath the snow. "How can you possibly understand my pain and suffering, when you never have experienced it?! Tell me Percy, when was the last time you lost your family?! How can you possibly understand my pain, when you have never been alone, huh?!"

Percy realized he might have made a mistake. "Nico, I—"

Nico was having none of it. "Tell me! Tell me, Percy, when you last experienced the pain of losing someone who meant everything to you!" A single tear born from grief and anger slid down his cheek. "I lost my mother. It was painful, yes, but I still had Bianca. But then she died and I was left alone. Years later, I found my little sister, and I had a shot at being part of a family again… at being accepted no matter who my father was... at being happy. But now, she has been taken from me as well! I'm alone again! I have lost my family not just once, but twice! How do you think you can even imagine my pain when you have never experienced anything like it, huh?! We suffer because of our bonds! You don't how it feels to lose them, gain new ones, and then lose them as well!"

The son of Hades took a few calming breaths, trying desperately to get his emotions under control. Right now, only Percy and he existed, and as such, he didn't see the shocked and tearstained faces of the people who were silently crying for him. Percy just looked shocked and grief-stricken, but Nico wasn't done. "The only pain of mine you could hope to understand, as you are now, is the burden of being the son of who I'm. The only ones who would truly understand the burden of our power is another child who are born to our fathers. But somehow, I doubt you even understand how much I suffer because of my ancestry. You have never been the subject of fear and scorn… of rejection… only admiration and love. So… I ask you one more time… what do you understand of my pain? What do you think you understand of my suffering?"

Percy was shaking. Not out of fear, but out of misery. Nico's words cut him deeper than any blade had ever done before, magical or not. Taking a few deep breaths as to not break down himself, he looked Nico squarely in the eyes.

"It is true… I have never lost my family or the ones closest to me… not for real. They have been kidnapped and gone missing, but I have always gotten them back. Shouldering the burden of knowing they won't come back… your loneliness… I can't imagine the pain you must have gone through… the pain you are still going through. I'm sorry Nico… I truly am. That is why… please, come back to Camp. Let's talk until morning in our cabins as we used to. I'm not naïve enough to think that things will go back to what they were… but you were never just my cousin to me, nor just my friend… I saw you as my brother in everything but blood. We trained together… we fought together… we laughed together… at times, we even cried together. All those times… please tell me they meant something to you… or were they just used to hide and dull your pain?"

Nico shook his head, hand going to the clasp of his winter cloak. "No Percy… all those times… they meant something to me. For a time… I believed and hoped I had a place at your Camp… That I could belong; but that was all it was: A hope. Now I know that it was childish dream and hope. Our world doesn't indulge the dreaming fools, Percy. But it was nice as long it lasted. I will not come back to your Camp as a friend. If I return… it will be to have justice on those who attacked me and my sister. But… during my times at Camp… you became my best friend. That's why, Percy, I'm offering you a choice: You can stand aside for my justice… or you can stand in my way. If you stand aside, no harm shall befall you or any who follow your example. If you stand in my way… the Romans and Chase's betrayal of your trust shall be the least of your concerns."

The son of Poseidon narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly taken aback by Nico's words. Nico was just like, if not worse, than he was after Bianca's death: An avenger. An avenger, who was more than ready to follow through on the threats he made. He pushed down his grief and misery and allowed anger to take over as his hand unbuttoned the top of his cloak's button.

"What you're talking about, Nico, is not justice, but revenge."

Nico sighed softly as he loosened the clasp. "Justice… revenge… Once, when I was a child, I pondered the difference. Now, I have to come to understand it. 'Justice' is dealt out by people who have not felt the pain of the wronged. 'Revenge and vengeance' are dealt by people who have felt the pain. Tell me, Percy, what is most fair: That the people who attacked me and my sister are punished by someone who didn't feel our, or that they are punished with the wrath of the wronged?"

Percy narrowed his eyes dangerously, unbuttoning another button. "And after you has had your vengeance, then what? Do you think those who love the ones you cut down will sit idle by? They will come for your blood as well, Nico."

Nico shrugged, allowing the winter cloak to fall, revealing his black sweatshirt and armour underneath. He held out his right arm, and his bo-staff shot from the shadow on the ground. "Maybe. But I have no family left who loves me. You called yourself my friend? Then let me have my vengeance, no matter how much you disapprove."

The son of Poseidon discarded his cloak, revealing a blue sweatshirt that wouldn't hinder him at all, Riptide springing into life in his right hand. "I won't let you do this, Nico. I won't let you harm Annabeth. I'm angry with her, yes, but I still love her. I won't allow you to hurt her."

Nico nodded, his voice deadly calm, something that was much more dangerous than him shouting in fury. "Then, Percy, we have nothing more to talk about." As he spoke, two curved blades grew from the staff. The first grew from the top, the other about thirty centimetres below it. Each was forty centimetres in length, and deadly. They were designed for one single purpose: Bypassing any defence. To kill. "Let's settle this."

Percy cracked his neck, eyeing the double-bladed scythe his younger cousin was holding. His voice was calm, not an ounce of the anger and previous distress in it as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Nico, I truly am. Sorry for what you had to endure… sorry that I wasn't there for you… sorry that you feel the way you do… Sorry that it has come to this." He sighed before a storm cloud darkened his eyes. "Annabeth… Grover… Leo: Stand back. It is exactly as Thalia and you said, Annabeth: I'm the only one who can match Nico now; the only one who can withstand the full onslaught of his fury and hatred." His eyes bore into Nico's as he took a step forward. "Let's do this then. I'm ready."

Nico took a step forward, and suddenly the two blades of his scythe were coated with Black Hellfire and Ghost Fire. His eyes still glowing red, he returned Percy's hard gaze. "So be it. There will be no winner by first blood or scratch. Nor will there be any breaks, nor restraints like in our mock battles. Only our skills, powers, endurance, determination and wit will decide this battle. It is time we settled our rivalry, Percy… once and for all."

A solemn and eerie silence filled the air until Dennis Creevey, who had snuck up behind Harry's group spoke in an unsure voice. "What does that mean?"

Harry was the one who answered, his voice tight with withhold awe and fear. "It means that this time… they are not fighting for fun or as training. This time… they are fighting for real."

Barely had Harry said the words, before the two teenagers in question started moving towards each other. It was slow at first, but they picked up speed. And despite all this, Harry saw them as moving in slow motion as what was about to transpire settled in his mind. Harry was sure that Nico had had a hand in the destruction of the Quidditch Stadium. In fact, he was willing to bet his Firebolt on it. That time, he had the cover of darkness on his side. When he fought next, it had been in the Forbidden Forest, shielded by trees and darkness, far away from prying eyes.

In both cases, Harry and his friends had seen the devastating aftermath of his friend's terrifying powers. They had even seen a small part of the warm-up. This time, they and all of Hogwarts, had front row seats to the battle. Or rather, they were standing right on what was about to become the battleground. Those thoughts barely managed to register before the two teenagers clashed.

Celestial Bronze met Stygian Iron. The furious and merciless flames of the Underworld met the unrelenting and unpredictable waves of the sea. Glowing red eyes filled with hatred and anger met stormy and determined ocean green.

The battle between the two most powerful Greek demigods of the century, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, and Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, had begun.

End chapter 14.

**AN2/2: Whew, that took longer to write and edit, but considering this chapter is, especially the meeting between Nico and Percy, basically what kick-started my ideas for story in the first place, I wanted to take my time and savour writing it. **

**Now, to those of you who might say that I made Draco too OOC or that Nico was too harsh with him: Well, you didn't really think Nico was going to let this and previous insults go unpunished, did you? As for Draco: People always compare how different Harry and Draco are. I did the opposite and looked for where they are much alike. And in book five, they have one thing in common: When angry, their mouths run faster than they think. **

**I had to omit a scene. People should not get the idea that all wizards are pushovers when compared to demigods, so I had a little scene planned out to show demigods vs experienced wizards. But as it is, I felt that it would seem awfully out of place. Might write it as a flashback or try making a new battle. **

**The last scene was heavily inspired by Sasuke vs Naruto in Valley of the End from the manga and anime 'Naruto'. Likewise, the cloaks I imagined Percy and others wearing would be like the ones worn by the Akatsuki. Google it under images.**

**Lastly, this will be the last time I will respond to anonymous reviews that just says "Good chapter/Please update". They take up more time than it took to write them. To the rest of my anonymous reviewers, I can recommend getting an account or logging in; it makes it much easier to respond to you. **

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Preview for next chapter: **

"I have changed my mind: I don't want to know how Nico fights anymore."

"What amazing abilities."

"No… they are just warming up."

00000

"Is this even magic? Are they even wizards?!"

"This is… on a completely different level."

00000

"But that's… that's the…!"

00000

"Everyone, get as far away from here as possible!"

"Run!"

"Hurry!"

"We can't outrun it!"

00000

"It's over, Nico! Give up! You've lost!"

"Perhaps…"

"…or maybe not."

00000

"I understand his pain… if only a little."

"People of Hogwarts… please… treat him better than we did."

00000

**Next time on 'Dark Phoenix': Chapter 15: Rampage. **

**Time for the anonymous reviews. **

Plopyy chapter 13 . Jan 6

Wow superb chappie

**Response: Thank you **

Jumper chapter 13 . Jan 6

Awesome...

**Response: Thanks. **

Harsh chapter 13 . Jan 6

Hey! That was the best story i read in this site...and that is saying a lot!thumbs up

**Response: Thank you. I'm honoured **

Guest chapter 13 . Jan 5

(Please update) P.S really good chapter

**Response: Thank you. But I'm afraid my update speed can't get any faster. **

NicoISkickbutt chapter 13 . Jan 5

To be put frankly: OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS. The chapters are /extremely/ long, the spelling and grammar are generally correct (I think I've spotted one or two errors in the entire story of over 100 thousand words, that's a definite accomplishment), and the long wait during your chapters is /totally/ worth it. Okay, admittedly, I'm still not too psyched on the long wait, but hey, at least you don't abandon the story.

I can't wait for the next chapter, but don't let us pressure you. I'm taking a vacation from writing myself. XD My readers probably think I abandoned them. I haven't, but the combination of sickness and being half-dead and five major tests all within two weeks really leaves you drained of creativity.

**Response: Thank you I try my best at keeping my language free from spelling and grammatical errors. I'm glad to hear you are enjoying the story despite the time it takes between each chapter (only about one-two months, c'mon. That is not a long time.) And I can assure you, I have no intentions of abandoning this story. I'm having way too much fun and enjoyment writing it. **

**Heh, and yeah, that is a nasty combination indeed. I myself have two exams coming up. Bleh. Anyways, good luck with your tests.**

Takata chapter 13 . Jan 2

¿cuánto más vas a tardar para subir el capítulo?

**Response: English please. My Spanish at this point of time is pretty much non-existent.**

Guest chapter 13 . Dec 8, 2013

Really hood chapter. I have a question ate Frank and Hazel dating in this story if so, wouldn't Frank be kinda devestated at her death and be really mad at the Greeks? Also he would be on Nico's good side by exention from Hazel. If they weren't together than this review was completely pointless.

Guest chapter 13 . Jan 1

In a previous review I said really hood chapter and I meant good chapter. Also why didn't the hunters and the Athena cabin wait for the Romans to apologize for killing Hazel or at least wait and see if anyone was around that was with her or try and heal her. They did not one thing to try and help to me it seems that the hunters and the Athenian cabin are really insensitive. (This is not meant to be a flame)

**Response: Yeah, Frank and Hazel are dating in this story. And yes, Frank was quite devastated after the attack and is really mad at the Greek. But he isn't on Nico's side. You might want to reread chapters 5-7 again. **

**Yes, the Hunters and Annabeth's team didn't stick around to try and help. First of all, Annabeth's team was on a secret mission. Secondly, there was a very angry elephant coming their way. And I doubt the Romans would have been all that understanding. A**

**Don't worry about it; I didn't take it as a flame **

Dec 29, 2013

Love the story! Plz write next chap

**Response: Thank you I just did. **

Guest chapter 13 . Dec 28, 2013

come on update! great chapter by the way, well all of your chapters are great!

**Response: Thank you for the praise. But I'm afraid my update speed isn't going to change all that much. **

Chayton chapter 13 . Dec 20, 2013

Thank you for the update! And happy early (or not) holidays! Have a good day!

**Response: Thank you. And happy holidays and have a good day to you as well **

Guest chapter 13 . Dec 9, 2013

I want to start by recognizing that since you are the author you can choose when or even if you will update. Second this is probably one of my top favorite FF it shows Nico as a multiple faceted character. Also that the good guys make mistakes too.

**Response: That you for your acknowledgment and understanding. And I'm happy you think so highly of my story and that you think I have managed to portray Nico as a multiple faceted character. And you are right, the good guys makes mistakes as well. No one is perfect. **

Gus chapter 13 . Dec 8, 2013

Do you love to torture me? Im begging you please update. Im on my knees (sort of) and begging you. Ill give you cookies? (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)

**Response: No, I don't enjoy torturing people… at least not much. And while the cookies are appreciated, I'm afraid it won't help much on my update speed.**

Random Reader chapter 13 . Dec 8, 2013

Wow. Just; Wow. First of all I love the idea of Nico going to Hogwarts. If it ever will happen I'd imagine your story first! (I found this fanfiction earlier today...) I love how you portrayed Nico's attitude. He retained his whole "I don't care what you have to say, and you can't boss me around." persona. I particularly enjoyed the part with Nico saving Harry from Umbridge! Her face would have been priceless!

As for the Heros of Olympus series never happening, it's no big deal. After all, this is a fanfiction for a reason. You are allowed to pick and choose what you'll use! (That's one reason I love to read/attempt to write fanfictions) And honestly I do think that Half-Bloods are that powerful; they just don't always know where/how to use it .

Don't get me wrong, I really like Thalia and Jason. BUT you did an amazing job showing the battles. In my opinion Nico will beat Percy too, but who am I to judge what you put? And Marcus (the automation, right, it is Marcus?) He's your OC right? Good job on that! I admire those who seem like anything they say will make sense.

If you were a Demigod who would your parent be? I always find it fun to put a version of yourself in a story. Again, Just, WOW!

Keep up the good work, and hurry up on that next chapter will ya?! :)

**Response: Ah, a nice long review Yeah, I was trying to maintain Nico's "You can't boss me around" attitude. And believe me, that part with Umbridge was one of my favorites. I have seen many of the 'protect…etc.' stories and all of them gives whatever demigod a detention alongside Harry. I thought it could be funny if someone dared use the Ministry's own rules against them. **

**Well, some of the demigods (children of Big/Eldest Three, Leo and others) are very powerful, especially compared to Hogwarts students. But experienced wizards (especially such as Order members and Death Eaters) are not complete pushovers. **

**But I thank you for saying that it my choice to pick what I want and don't want to use. And I'm happy to hear you enjoy my fight scenes. **

**Yeah, Marcus (the Roman who can basically turn into an automaton or a mini-version of Iron Man or Colossus from X-Men) is my OC. I was quite surprised and somewhat anxious when Riordan threw in Roman senior centurion by that name in 'House of Hades. **

**If I was a demigod, who would I be child of? Very hard to tell. Honestly, I have no idea. Not Apollo, for I have no singing or musical talent. Though, I have enough knowledge to know when someone doesn't have it either. Perhaps Hermes **

**Thank you for all your praises, but I'm afraid my update speed won't change that much. **

Guest chapter 13 . Dec 7, 2013

Great chapter. Can't you give a little hint on who will win the epic battle of percy and nico?

P.S can leo switch sides and be 'team nico' because nico and leo are my favorite characters and it's hard seeing them against each other

**Response: Thank you. As for hints: Look under preview**

HarryPotterLover chapter 13 . Dec 6, 2013

OKAY! You're an amazon writer I started this two days ago, I just want to say,

Thanks for putting time into making them REAAAAAAALLLLYYY long!

**Reponse: Thank you It is not like I put that much effort into making them long. I just write down what I want in the chapters and then write. In raw notes, this chapter was two pages long when written in hand. Turned out to be 20+ pages on computer once styled and more detailed. **

Guest chapter 13 . Dec 4, 2013

keep writing it great

**Response: Thanks **

Guest chapter 13 . Dec 3, 2013

me no likey nicoxhermione

**Response: Too bad, because others and, most importantly perhaps, I do.**

Guest chapter 13 . Nov 30, 2013

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make a next chapter! this series is AWESOME.

**Response: Thank you. But it's hardly a series. Also, I can only update when I have the time and energy for writing. **

Chayton chapter 13 . Nov 30, 2013

Thank you for the update! Have a good day!

**Response: Thank you and good day to you as well **


	15. Chapter 15

**AN1/2: **

**Hi. Long time no see. Wow, a new personal record: 114 reviews for one chapter. I'm truly honoured. Maybe I should start taking this long to update every time, eh? Jokes aside, I'm truly honoured and I hope it won't take this long again. On a more serious note:**

**If you are expecting me to apologize for taking so long to update, you are going to wait a really long time. I won't apologize. In mid/late-February my mental health took quite a beating, and it was only late March I started regaining my footing. My mental health goes before writing, so there you have it. **

**Also, I will say this one more time: This storyline is AU. Events from 'Heroes of Olympus' haven't taken place.**

**But since it has been so long since I last updated, I will give a summary. **

**Events up till now (chapter 10-14):**

While in Hogsmeade, Nico was confronted by Jason and the son of Jupiter tried convincing Nico to surrender to Camp Jupiter, which Nico refused. To end their argument, Nico revealed that Jason's sister, Thalia, is still alive.

Nico's first lesson in the DA was some basic combat rules and physical combat, as he believes the wizards relies too much on their wands.

Draco Malfoy, in an effort to get back at Nico for humiliating him in a rather one-sided duel by the lake, where it was revealed that Nico is a Parselmouth, Draco released three Boggarts against Nico, exposing his three greatest fears: The ghosts of Bianca telling him that she never loved him, the dying form of Hazel blaming him, and what he fears will happen to him if his powers corrupts him.

The confrontation ended with Nico losing control and it took the combined efforts of Dean, Seamus, Ron, Neville, Lavender Brown and the Weasley and Patil twins to stun him, though who delivered the deciding Stunner is unknown. After the events, Nico was comforted by Hermione, and the two are now together as a couple.

A night alone in their camp, left Annabeth Chase with a lot on her mind, as she has figured out that the girl she fought was a Roman demigod, when the mission given to her and her team by a goddess was to sneak in and have a diplomatic talk with the leaders. She also started to suspect that Nico di Angelo is the spy at Camp Half-Blood that the goddess warned her about.

In response to the Boggart incident, the Ministry tried to take Nico into custody, but was thwarted by Dumbledore that once again reminded them of the Founding Rules and continued to put pressure on them when he revealed he knew about an incident in the Department of Mysteries that resulted in the death of thirty-five people within five minutes.

During Hagrid's first lesson, he Fifth Year students didn't just have to deal with Dolores Umbridge inspecting the class, but also the Hunters of Artemis. After a short but intense battle, the Hogwarts students, Hagrid and Umbridge was overwhelmed, but Nico showed up and after a brief argument, took over the fight, battling all of the Hunters by himself, before finally facing off against Thalia in a one-on-one battle that ended with Thalia being in his mercy. He almost killed off the daughter of Zeus when she revealed they downed Hazel with Greek fire, but Hermione stopped him, pleading with him to spare the lives of Thalia and the Hunters.

As parting words, Nico told Thalia that he never wanted as much as sense the presence of the Hunters ever again and that Jason is still alive, last seen in Hogsmeade. Meanwhile, in Hogsmeade, Jason is confronted by Lucius Malfoy and in his desperation to find his sister as soon as possible, he strikes a deal with Lucius: In return for the aid of Malfoy's organization in capturing Nico di Angelo, Jason and his group will help them with a few tasks, unaware that his girlfriend and fellow praetor, Reyna, has come to Britain with an elite fighting unit called the Twelve Terror.

Fearing for the safety of Nico and Draco, Headmaster Dumbledore makes an agreement with Nico di Angelo: In return for continued hospitality and immunity at Hogwarts, he will not seek to harm Malfoy through Muggle ways, curses or his abilities with Black Hellfire and Umbrakinesis.

Meanwhile, in a dream, Percy Jackson eavesdrops on a conversation, and learns that someone is plotting against Nico's life. Shortly afterwards, he learns what happened during the confrontation between the Hunters and Nico. Annabeth, still shaken and not wanting to believe it, tells Percy that he has to consider the possibility that Nico has turned against Camp and that if it should come down to it, he will have to stop him… even if it means killing the son of Hades.

After being released from the Hospital Wing, Nico has a nightmare, and the Gryffindor Fifth Years learns that he can't feel Hazel's life aura anymore. Nico almost loses control, but before things can get out of hand, Ron knocks him out.

In the wake of Nico vs. the Hunters, rumours about Nico are running wild and in an attempt to take Nico's mind of his troubles for a while, Neville offers to train with him, resulting in Nico teaching him methods to use his sensing abilities in battle and gives him a philosophy lesson.

The opening match in Quidditch, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, ended with Gryffindor winning the game and Harry testing out the force-field created by Dumbledore to protect the players from hitting the rocky ground. In anger, Malfoy insults Harry's mother and Arthur Weasley, but before Harry and the Weasley twins can beat him up, Nico intervenes. Knowing about the bargain between the headmaster and Nico, and after getting humiliated once more by Nico, Draco makes a terrible jib at Nico's sisters, making the son of Hades snap. Nico subjects Draco to an illusion, showing him the horrors of the Underworld and ending the lesson with an illusionary whipping by the Furies.

When confronted with what he did, Nico explains to Dumbledore and all present that since he hadn't violated the agreement, he is still free to stay at Hogwarts, which is confirmed by Dumbledore, much to Umbridge's outrage.

In early December, while taking a walk at the lake and talking about Christmas, Nico and his friends are confronted by the search team from Camp Half-Blood; Percy, Annabeth, Leo and Grover. Nico reveals that he has known about the existence of the Roman demigods ever since the end of the Titan War and shows Percy Annabeth's dagger, Hazel's blood still on it. Percy attempts to placate Nico and get him to return to Camp, but he only ends up enraging him even further and the argument culminates in them engaging in combat when Percy refuses to step aside for Nico's revenge.

**There will be some OOC in this chapter, but it will help serve my purposes. Also, this chapter is extremely long, so you might want to read it over a day or two... maybe more. **

**Also, if I may be so bold, put on your favourite battle music/soundtracks. If you lack inspiration, here are some of my favourites: **

**Strong and Strike, Raising Fighting Spirit, Heavy Violence, Need To Be Strong, Edo Tensei (if you can find with choir in good quality, it will best Link, best version I've found. Remove spaces. www. youtube watch?v =zGkQPEODUsA), Dance, Lightning Speed, Emergence of Talents, Stalemate, Blind Animal, Kokuten, Beni Soubi, Nankou Furaku, Shikku, Rinkai, Himoji, Narukami and Keisei Gyakuten. All of these are from Naruto and Naruto Shipuuden, but in my opinion, they're awesome. **

**Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give to you: Nico di Angelo vs Percy Jackson. Please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy chapter 15 of 'Dark Phoenix.'**

Chapter 15: Rampage.

The sound of metal against metal rang out over the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The source: Two teenage boys wielding deadly weapons. They were raining blows at each other with a speed that almost made their weapons, a sword and a double-bladed scythe, look like blurs as they slashed, swiped, thrust and blocked, matching each other move for move.

It was almost like a dance: An incredible dangerous dance, where one misstep could prove fatal. But it was clear to see both were natural fighters: Neither of them wasted movement nor energy. Neither of the two fighters would move more than absolutely necessary. At times, the blade of the opponent would only be dodged by less than an inch.

Harry had seen the aftermath of Nico's fights, had seen him about to end a person's life in his rage. He had seen him lose control of his emotions and powers when confronted with his worst fears. He had just heard him scream his frustration, anger and loss to the world, given them far more insight into his past and life than he had volunteered since coming to Hogwarts.

But as unsettling all of that had been, not to mention the tongues of magical fire that was released when sword met scythe, Harry was far more unnerved by the look in Nico's eyes. They were red and filled with controlled bloodlust. And in some ways, Harry had the feeling that that was far more dangerous than him losing control. Now all of his terrifying powers would be used in a controlled manner, for one single purpose: To kill the one who attacked his sister and those who would stand in his way.

Harry swallowed. Last time, Hermione had been able to stop Nico from committing murder and make his rage subside. This time, Harry feared there would be no stopping Nico. Not unless his opponent managed to defeat him.

The Gryffindor looked at what could be his lookalike, and from the looks in his eyes, Harry knew the older boy had come to the same conclusion. But what both impressed and slightly frightened Harry was the fact that the older boy could look Nico in the eyes without flinching and was seemingly completely unaffected by the growing killing intent his smaller opponent gave off.

The young Gryffindor Seeker, well ex-Seeker, damn it was painful to even think that, watched their duel with growing trepidation. He could see it was going to be a tough fight… for both of them. The leader, Percy, was taller and stronger than Nico. But their friend was faster and more agile. And that Nico was keeping up with the older boy was saying something, because Percy was swinging his sword with an almost unnatural speed. And from the looks of it, the taller boy was just as surprised as his friends that his younger cousin was keeping up.

Harry looked at the three other teenagers behind the fighters. The girl, Annabeth, looked quite distraught… but if it was because of the grief she had brought to Nico or because her boyfriend was fighting what could prove a deadly fight, or a mix of the two or something else, Harry couldn't say.

His gaze moved to the boy with the crutches. Harry had suspected that his nerves could be steelier than he let on. Now, he looked like he was ready to bolt from the scene, crutches or no crutches. What Harry found somewhat peculiar was the absence of a plaster cast or anything like it, ruling out a broken leg or foot. Perhaps some sort of disease? Whatever the case, he doubted it was the reason for the rising panic he could see in the older boy's eyes and face.

Lastly, the Boy-Who-Lived set his eyes on the youngest of the four. He was tense, yes, but unlike the guy with the crutches, he didn't seem on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Rather, he seemed torn between putting as much distance as he could between him and the fighting pair or joining in.

The same, Harry noted, could not be said for the Hogwarts students gathered around them. Harry had seen the horrified and tearstained faces of his fellow students when Nico spoke of his suffering. Even Harry had felt his breath hitch. He knew of the pain of being alone… about not being loved by a family. He lost his parents and he often wished for nothing more than having them back with him. Don't get him wrong, he loved the Weasleys, but they could never fully fill in for what he had lost: The bonds of his own family. Nico hadn't just lost those bonds once, but twice. Harry couldn't imagine the pain of such a loss. He couldn't imagine how he would take it if his parents, his family, were to be returned to him just to be taken away again.

He looked around at his fellow students, wondering how many of them could relate to Nico's loss. Neville probably could, considering what happened to his parents, but he was also the only one Harry could think of. There were probably more orphans among them, but he wondered how many really cried because they understood Nico, or cried because they tried imagining what they would feel like if they if they lost their family.

But before he could ponder it further, the two combatants drew his full attention, pushing all thoughts aside. It happened so fast and was so subtle that had Harry not happened to glance their way and been a Seeker, trained to see small movement in the air, he would have missed it.

As the two fighters jumped apart, Percy gave a slight twitch with his left wrist and his fingers. Instantly, a dozen of thin water beams shot from the lake, all heading for Nico with a velocity and pressure that no water cannon used by the police could hope to match. Nico, however, didn't seem to be concerned as he just made a small twitch with his right hand, causing a curved shield of shadows to spring into existence.

The water beams collided with the barrier of darkness and for a fraction of a second, Harry thought they would penetrate Nico's defences. Instead, they were deflected, bouncing off the shield. The tree they hit was not so lucky, despite its size. Harry had seen the water cannons used by the police knock down people. If those cannons could match the pressure of these water beams, Harry knew you wouldn't get up again; they would cut up your body, flesh, organs and bones alike. For that was what happened to the tree: It was sliced to pieces that fell to the ground and would only be usable as firewood. And all the while, Nico and Percy just stared at each other.

Harry swallowed, a single drop of sweat running down his face. It was a miracle those jets hadn't hit any of the students, but Harry was not sure whether to put that down to their luck or the skills of the combatants.

"What amazing abilities."

Harry looked his to left, green eyes setting on Dennis Creevey. The younger boy was looking at the two fighters with the same kind of reverence as he and his older brother would have when they looked at Harry. Normally, that look would annoy and exasperate Harry. Now, it downright frightened him. The kid was so deep in his admiration that he didn't realize the danger he was in. And much to Harry's growing dismay, the young boy wasn't the only one. He even heard someone muttering in excitement.

"Finally we get to see di Angelo fight. I have wanted to know how he fights ever since he came to Hogwarts."

Harry bit his cheek. Excitement was the last thing he was feeling right now. He had seen the destruction Nico was capable of. And Percy, the cousin Nico had never beaten, was proving to be every bit as powerful as he imagined him to be. And Harry feared this was only the beginning.

"No... They are just warming up. They aren't using their full power yet… not even close."

Harry turned to look at Neville. The normal shy boy was paler than the ghosts, eyes locked on the powerful teens having a stare down. "Neville? You okay?"

Neville didn't answer. He was too shocked by the energy levels of Percy, Nico and the youngest of Percy's group. He could feel them rousing their energy, preparing to use their full power. He couldn't tell the others about his sensing abilities as he wanted to keep that as secret as possible, and thus he couldn't describe what these powerhouses stirring their energy felt like.

The youngest from Percy's group felt like he was hosting a forest fire, burning bright and hot. He didn't match the two currently fighting, or Jason, but he was damn near Thalia's level. Percy was like a hurricane and a tsunami; raging and untameable, gaining more speed and power. And Nico: Neville had no words that could describe what he was feeling without contradicting himself. On one hand, Nico's power felt colder and darker than the worst of blizzards in the winter night. But at the same time, it felt as explosive and unforgiving as the power released from an earthquake; the same kind of power that could create mountains… or tear them apart.

Neville felt himself tremble and he turned shakily to Harry, whispering, not daring to draw the attention of the combatants. "We… we cannot stay here."

Harry nodded tightly. He had drawn the same conclusion. A conclusion that pretty much proved right when Nico spoke in a calm voice.

"This is no play fight or a lesson at Camp, Percy. Low level tricks like that won't work on me. If you wish to stop me and deny me my justice and revenge… nothing short of your full power will be enough."

Percy frowned. The initial shock of Nico actually keeping up with his enhanced speed had worn off during the first exchange of blows. When they had sparred back at Camp, Percy had always won on his speed and would only go full speed when Nico demanded he stopped holding back. Gradually, Nico had gotten so fast that he almost could keep up with his full speed, making him one of the best swordsmen of Camp Half-Blood. But Nico had told him that his sword had never felt like an extension of his body, and as such, he could never be Percy's equal when it came to sword fighting. Percy had stubbornly denied his claim then, but now, seeing him fight with that scythe, he had to admit Nico had been right. After a few blows and blocks, the son of Poseidon could see the difference as clearly as he could the stars in a clear night sky. Nico was not just able to keep up his defence; he was actually able to go on the offence, causing the son of the Earthshaker to keep an eye on those blades. He was not afraid that the blades would cut him, but he wasn't keen on letting those fires of the Underworld anywhere near his weak spot.

Percy let out a sigh, his shoulder slumping. Some naïve part of him had hoped that Nico wasn't serious and that they would be able to talk after he had shown the younger boy that he couldn't win… that he would come to his senses. But after displaying that he was able to keep up and with his last words, the son of Hades had shown Percy that he would't back down. He glanced over his shoulders, hoping that all the bystanders and his friends would have enough sense to skedaddle… the sooner the better. He dimly heard Grover mumbling, sounding about ready to bolt.

"What am I even doing here? I can't fight in this battle. My magic is a bad matchup against Nico's powers… at best, my tricks with woodland magic will amuse him… but more likely, they will just annoy him…"

The son of Poseidon turned his gaze towards his younger cousin, eyes narrowing slightly as he steeled his resolve for the fight he had hoped could be avoided. And when he spoke, there was genuine anger in it. "So be it. Perhaps it is time to remind you who you are talking to… what I'm really capable of."

Harry tensed at his lookalike's words, waiting for something to explode. It didn't happen. Instead, the wind seemed to pick up and only now did the Boy-Who-Lived realize that the smell of gasoline came from the youngest of the four strange teenagers.

'Why in Merlin's name does he smell like gasoline?'

Harry's musings, however, didn't get any further as a roar came from the lake. It wasn't the roar of an animal though. And when Harry turned to look, he sucked in a breath, gasping alongside many others.

'But that is a… impossible!'

Harry wouldn't have believed it if he wasn't seeing it with his own eyes. A waterspout, basically a tornado formed over water and made up of water droplets formed by condensation, had formed out of the blue and was now heading towards them. Harry glanced at Percy once more, just to get another shock: The older boy was standing in his very own small icy hurricane, the power of the gale strong enough to push back those standing closest to him. Still, as shocking as that was, it was nothing to Nico's reaction: He laughed.

"Percy, you will have to do better than this. I'm not the young and impressionable ten-years-old boy that would gawk and clap my hands at every move you would make, be it with your sword or water. Here, allow me to show you." The earth beneath him started smoking and cracking, and shadows started churning so fast they formed a miniature tornado of darkness that rivalled Percy's hurricane and waterspout in strength. Nico smiled sardonically. "Now we're talking. Let's do this."

11111

"Now we're talking. Let's do this."

Leo sucked in a breath, face paling considerable. The son of Hephaestus had managed to keep silent up to this point. The reason for the 'impressive' feat: He was torn. Nico was his friend, but he couldn't recognize the pale boy anymore. The boy glaring with red eyes filled with hatred was so different from the Nico he had come to know. Likewise, he knew Nico never got angry and raised his voice without good reason, but after hearing what Annabeth and the Hunters supposedly did, with some hard evidence pointing in that direction, Leo couldn't say he blamed Nico for acting the way he did.

And hearing that Nico only would return to Camp in the name of vengeance chilled him to the core. It made their mission to find him somewhat pointless. What was the point of saving Camp from Hades' wrath, when they instead would be facing Nico's?

Leo had so desperately wanted to tell Nico about Hades' demands, but he had been too shocked by the exchange of words between the two powerful cousins. And now, they would be locked in a full-scale battle. Leo had briefly considered getting between his two friends, but then felt like smacking himself. He had a lot of firepower, pun intended, but those two simply outclassed him. And he rather liked existing as something more than a grease spot, thank you very much.

Leo swallowed, watching the rapidly approaching waterspout. At Camp, Nico and Percy had given show fights to demonstrate the power they wielded to newcomers. And every time they did, a perimeter of one-hundred metres was set in order to ensure the safety of the other campers. And when they were sparring, they had to announce it twenty-four hours in advance… and in what area the spar was going to take place so that all campers, dryads and satyrs in the area could be evacuated.

Their show and sparring fights were a sight to behold… from a safe distance. Now, Leo was standing right on the battleground… alongside hundreds of innocent bystanders. Leo felt his eyes widen when he saw that some of them looked no older than eleven or twelve. They were much too young to see the kind of battle about to unfold. And if their and some of the older students' gazes were anything to go by, it was clear they had no idea of the danger they were in.

It happened so fast that the mechanic almost missed it. The funnel approaching from the lake gained additionally speed and strength as it headed for them. In response, Nico raised his scythe and suddenly a tiny amount of Black Hellfire mixed with the dark vortex, and he knew what the son of Hades was planning.

'Oh shit.'

It was strange, really. Up to now, he had been passive, too nervous for the safety of his friends. But now, in the face of battle and the impending danger, he snapped into action, shouting as loudly as he could at the children and youths around him.

"Move, move, move!" No one moved and Leo found himself starting to panic. They were too mesmerized by the combatants. He needed to shock them out of it. He did the only thing he could think of. Spinning slightly on his heels, he thrust out his right hand. Result: A stream of flames shot from his palm and smashed into the ground a few metres from the students, effectively giving them a scare as a fiery crescent barrier rose before their eyes. Wide eyes snapping towards him, the mechanic genius roared over the wind and fire. "Go! Get out of here! This is no place for kids!"

That had the desired effect, as all of the youths, including Percy's lookalike and his friends started scrambling away, towards the castle. He turned towards his other companions and started tugging at Grover. "It's no place for us either! Let's move!"

"We can't just leave Percy!"

The son of Hephaestus whirled on his feet so quickly it was a miracle he didn't twist both ankles at once, glaring at the daughter of Athena who looked utterly distraught.

'As she should' a small voice in his head viciously added, but he instantly silenced it. It would do no good adding fuel to the fire. Still, he needed to vent a little. And as such, he did something he never would have dared had Percy been less busy: He grasped Annabeth's arm, hard, and hissed.

"I have a boatload of things I want to say to you, but right now, we have to move. But you better have a damn good explanation ready, for if Percy won't yell at you, I will. Now come on! Move!"

The demigods and satyr moved away from the battle, and it wasn't a moment too late, for Nico chose that second to act. He brought down the scythe in a vertical blow, and the movement was copied by the twister of shadow and Hellfire. Percy moved his right hand in a sweeping motion, and the waterspout reacted to his will, speeding up and bending as it moved inland, intercepting its darker counterpart before it could come to bear upon the son of Poseidon and his hurricane.

The blast of wind that followed sent the two retreating demigods and satyr tumbling to the ground when they were hit by the gale. They rolled a few metres, but they quickly got back on their feet and continued on, clothes now wetter and dirtier than when they came. Still, better that than being in the raging chaos of wind, water, shadows and Hellfire.

Percy growled low in his throat. His waterspout was taking the brunt of the attack, but the mix of Hellfire and shadows moving fast enough to create a miniature tornado was not in his favour. So he did the only thing that came to mind. With a yell, he upped the power of his icy hurricane and with its added force, it sent the two twisters away and out over the lake, the infernal mess creating a small tidal wave that swept across the lake before hitting the opposite shore. Green eyes narrowing at his cousin, Percy directed the remaining strength of his hurricane towards the son of Hades, intending to blow him off his feet. It worked somewhat, but it wasn't quite as effective as Percy had hoped.

Nico got knocked back a few paces and was disarmed, but he quickly regained his balance. With a snarl, red eyes settling on Percy, he clasped his hands together. Three steep rock walls formed right behind and on either side of the son of Poseidon, leaving barely enough room for him to stretch his arms unless it was forward. Each wall was about four metres tall, effectively trapping him as they were too tall to jump over, and too steep to climb. Only way to go was forward, towards Nico. But to Percy, that wasn't all that appealing considering he managed to see his younger cousin inhale a small hand of black fire.

"Oh crap."

Acting quickly, the son of Poseidon inhaled just as the son of Hades let out a small torrent of Black Hellfire, aiming straight at the opening of the rock formation. Just as the first flames reached the entrance to the stone trap, Percy exhaled, a blast of water shooting from his mouth, hitting the cursed blazes right at the entrance.

Had it been against normal fire, it would have been sufficient for defence. But as they both knew, Black Hellfire was anything but normal. Still, it had been enough to delay the blazes of the Underworld and Percy called upon the water of the lake to guard him. Once it was in the entrance, he willed it to drop in temperature, thus lowering its evaporation rate. And unlike Nico, who could only spew Black Hellfire in ratio with what he had inhaled, though that was no laughing matter no matter how you looked at it, as long as there was water in the lake, Percy could maintain his defence against Nico's fiery assault.

The last of the dark fire went out, though it was way too close for Percy's comfort. His barrier of cold water had been pressed until it was less than half a metre from him. But it had withstood Nico's onslaught, and now the only evidence of the battle of the elements were the hot and heavy steam obscuring Percy's vision. And the steam was not the only thing that was heavy. His thoughts were just as heavy, and he took a moment to calm them and his racing heart, regaining his breath.

'You are really serious about this, aren't you, Nico? You really mean to kill Annabeth and all who stand in your way… starting with me. Yet you are holding back. Why? To preserve strength so you can kill Annabeth after you are done with me? I can't let you win. I won't allow you to… what is that noise?'

Have you ever been in a place with close to zero visibility? Your hearing gets sharper, able to hear anything moving towards you, be it in the air or on the ground. It was no different for Percy. He could hear it whistling in the air, slicing through the heavy mist. And whatever it was, it was huge. When he saw it, he wished he hadn't.

'Oh man… this is gonna hurt.'

It exploded.

11111

The initial blast of wind was scorching, and Harry didn't want to think about what Percy's friends must have felt when they were knocked over by the shockwave. 300 metres away, Harry and his fellow students weren't knocked down, but the first years stumbled slightly and Harry felt his hair being ruffled, and he barely heard Ernie Macmillan mutter as he tried to catch his breath after their intense sprint towards the castle.

"I have changed my mind… I don't want to know how he fights anymore. Where are the teachers?!"

Harry wondered about that too, but before he could say anything, Dennis Creevey spoke up. "We don't need the teachers. We've got Harry. Harry can stop them! He stopped You-Know-Who after all. And after that and everything he has done here at Hogwarts, Harry could easily stop them if he put his mind to it. Right Harry?"

Harry almost choked on the air he was breathing as he heard the younger Gryffindor. The absurdity of that statement had him reeling for several seconds. 'Me? Stop them? I will get killed. It would go something like this: I get in between and tell them to stop… I will be ground into dirt… as best case scenario.'

He focused on the battle again, just in time to see three walls surround Percy and a clash of water against dark blazes, and he heard some Ravenclaw mutter in disbelief.

"I don't believe it. Umbrakinesis… Black Fire… and now the elements of water, wind, fire and earth in their rawest forms are being manipulated by… by teenagers. This… this shouldn't be possible."

A memory stirred, and Harry recalled Hermione's words from the night the Quidditch Pitch was destroyed:

_"Ron, grown wizards and witches do that. And it takes years to master. Also, fire and water are easy to manipulate. In nature, they just don't suddenly appear or change direction. Lightning and wind, or air if you will, does, and earth is too sturdy to manipulate."_

Ron's question. _"But the black fire…"_

And her answer "_Isn't a part of the five basic elements. It is a magical fire, created by the will and imagination of the wizard. There are several cases of magical fires, like Bluebell Flames, but they are not fire in its rawest form. The elements, in their rawest forms, are wild and uncontrollable_." She got blank looks and she sighed. "_Point is: it would take an exceptional powerful witch or wizard to conjure and control one of the five basic elements."_

Harry glanced at his bookish friend, whose face was an expression of astonishment, bewilderment fright and distress, and Harry briefly feared she might try to approach the battle, but she seemed to know that there would be no calming down Nico this time. Plus, if she tried to move towards the fight, Harry would restrain her.

'It would take an exceptional powerful witch or wizard to conjure and control one of the five basic elements… yet Nico, Percy, Leo and that girl, Thalia, controls all five. And if I'm right, Jason might wield lightning as well. All five elements… used by people our age. Either they have trained since they could walk or they are just geniuses. Where are… what now?'

Harry stared as Nico slowly raised his right hand to shoulder height, staring intently into the heavy cloud of steam. And after everything that had happened where their new friend was concerned, Harry was only slightly surprised to see a huge chunk of rock and stone rise into the air. Nor was he terrible surprised when Nico clenched his hand into a fist, causing pieces of rock to fall away until it was a shuriken, or throwing star in more common English, about the size of Uncle Vernon's car and with deadly edges. Still though, when Nico unclenched his hand, causing the piece of lethal rock to fly into the steam, the Boy-Who-Lived felt a shiver running down his spine. And he was filled with trepidation when Nico conjured up a handful of black fire and hurled it after the massive weapon.

Harry saw it all happen in slow motion. The massive shuriken, too large to be evaded in the confined trap, was hit by the fireball as it reached the entrance. The rock exploded and with only one way to go, two if you count the opening in top, the pressure of the explosion and shrapnel was focused towards the teenager Harry knew to be trapped within the formation of stone.

The back wall exploded, as did the top metres of the surrounding walls, the debris flying ten to fifteen metres. And accompanying the flying debris was a slightly burned body with torn clothes, and Harry had to fight down nausea when the body hit the ground with a dull thud and rolled a few feet before coming to a stop, lying completely still, face down.

Harry turned his gaze towards Nico, looking at him. He didn't know why he was filled with shock. Nico had already proven he was willing to take another person's life in cold blood. Now, they had actually seen him end someone's life. And not just any someone; Percy had been the one he had called his best friend. And yet, he had unleashed attack after attack, seeking to kill Percy. The Gryffindor Seeker through the last years slowly turned his head, looking at his redheaded best friend, green eyes meeting shaken blue, and Harry could see they were having the same thought: Could they fight each other in death match? The thought alone was unsettling to say the least. And when he looked around, he saw people looking at what he assumed to be their best friends.

'Facing your best friend in mortal combat because of a girl… I thought that kind of stuff only happened in those stupid romance novels… yet that is what happened to Nico and Percy… though not for the traditional reasons.' He glanced at Percy. 'Nico said he has never beaten Percy in an all-out fight… but he just came out on top… what in the name of Merlin?! How can he still be alive?!'

Harry felt his jaw drop in shock and he, like the rest of the gathered student body, let out a gasp. The reason: Percy was back on his feet. And he went on the offensive.

11111

Percy's ears were ringing, and he had to fight down the rising nausea and the black spots dancing before his eyes. Just as he was about to fall unconscious, Nico's cold and unrelenting voice cut through the fog clouding his mind.

"Stop insulting my intelligence, Percy! I can see your life aura. And we both know it will take more than that to take you down."

Percy wasn't so sure about the truth of that statement. As it was, he was surprised he was still conscious with his eardrums being on the verge of rupture, if they hadn't popped completely. Slowly getting on his feet, the son of Poseidon looked at the son of Hades.

'You… are really serious about this… Nico. You really mean to kill me. Before, you gave me just enough time to counter your attack. But this time, you attacked relentlessly, aiming to kill. Had I not had the Curse of Achilles, I would be dead meat.'

The son of Poseidon pushed himself to his feet. He didn't know what hurt most: His ringing ears or the betrayal of their friendship. No matter what Nico had said Percy, hadn't actually believed that the son of Hades would go as far as to fight with the intention of killing him. They had been through too much for that. Or at least, so Percy thought. However, with his latest attack, Nico had proven that he was indeed serious: He was now fighting to kill. And that both frightened and angered Percy.

It frightened him for several reasons. One reason was that he was fully aware that Nico had a wide range of powers and knew how to use them. And with powers backed up by cunning, the son of Hades was no pushover, even when he wasn't fighting with all powers allowed. But his biggest fear was that if he failed now, Nico would have a clear path for Annabeth. Oh, don't get him wrong, he didn't think that Leo and Grover wouldn't try to protect her, but he knew they would be no match for Nico. Leo was strong, yes, but even when weakened, Nico was a frightening opponent.

Percy was starting to regret leaving Festus and Tyson in the forest. They had decided to leave them there so that they wouldn't scare the students and cause a mass panic. Plus, if they had to sneak into the castle, a Cyclops and a mechanical dragon weighing several tons would be quite hard to hide. It hadn't been easy to convince them to stay behind, though it was Festus who had been the hardest to cajole. Leo had tried bribing him with a barrel of gasoline, bought from a filling station in the last town, but when the mechanic had opened the barrel, the automaton had toppled barrel and teenager alike in protest, soaking the teenager in the gasoline. It had taken nearly two hours for the son of Hephaestus to clean up, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't remove the smell. Leo had been less than pleased and shouted in indignation at the dragon automaton in English, Ancient Greek and Spanish, switching between the languages so fast that Percy had grown dizzy. Properly chastised, Festus had stayed behind. Now Percy wished they had brought them with them; perhaps that would have deterred Nico.

The son of Poseidon looked at his younger cousin, and he felt his anger squash down his fear and uncertainties. He couldn't believe that Nico had become so consumed by his thirst for revenge that he would strike down Annabeth without first hearing what she had to say for herself. That he would force Percy to choose between his girlfriend and the one that was like a brother to him. That he would think so little of their friendship.

"I can't say I understand your pain, Nico, but I understand your anger. But even so… I won't let you kill Annabeth. I won't let you!"

He was shouting at the end, and the water obeyed him as he thrust out his hands towards Nico. Several beams of water shot from the lake with high velocity, all targeting the son of Hades, all of them cutting a few inches into the ground as they missed. But it wasn't just the water of the lake that Percy bended to his whim. No, the snow on the ground was flowing rapidly towards Nico like a violent torrent, unbalancing him as the masses shifted beneath his feet and whirled around him, lowering his visibility, and slowly but surely, forcing him closer to the bank. But that wasn't all. Percy had made the icicles from nearby trees fly towards Nico like throwing knives.

The son of Poseidon wasn't aiming to kill Nico; only getting him close enough to the lake. Besides, Nico was doing a marvellous job at dodging the jets of water and icicles, at times deflecting them with his scythe. But he had failed to see that he was less than three feet from the water bank. And that was the moment Percy had been waiting for. He made an inland sweeping motion with his right hand, and four ropes of water shot from the lake, moving like whips being cracked, and moving much faster than their diversionary counterparts. When the son of Hades noticed them, it was too late. They coiled around his wrists, torso and scythe and before he could make a counter, Percy thrust his right arm towards the lake, and the whips of water flew away from the shore, dragging a cursing Nico with them, until fifty metres off shore, boy and watery ropes disappeared beneath the surface.

Percy could feel his cousin struggling against his bonds as he was dragged further and further down. When the son of the sea god felt that the son of the Lord of the Underworld reached a depth of ten metres, the son of Poseidon loosened his control.

'There… that ought to do it. I don't want to drown him, just cool him down a little.' Percy frowned, doing his best to ignore the shouts from the school students. And his frown deepened when Nico didn't resurface. 'Something isn't right here. Nico should have… what in the name of Poseidon!?'

He felt the violent disturbance in the water before the visible effect showed itself on the surface. Still, even he was surprised by the creature emerging from the blast of water. And he didn't need the screams of the students to know that the monster that was now rapidly moving towards the shore, the son of Hades standing on top of its head, was one of the big baddies.

11111

"This… this fight… it is on completely different level. Those… They are just in a different league compared to us."

Zacharias Smith wasn't that praising. "What kind of magic is this?! Are they even wizards?!"

Harry had, to be honest, questioned that himself. Looking down at the fight taking place, it was hard to believe that Nico was their age and Percy only a few years older. Yet they used powers that, according to Hermione, was very hard to master, like it was their second nature.

He watched as Nico stepped left and right, dodging the jets of water, wincing as they carved the ground open, and all the while the snow beneath Nico's feet shifted, doing its best to make him fall. However, from his vantage point, Harry could see what Nico could not: He was being moved towards the lake. Harry saw it before it even happened.

"Nico, watch out!"

His warning did little good. First off, Nico couldn't hear him. Secondly, the warning came too late. Harry watched as water shot from the water like whips, wrapping around Nico and dragging him into water, fifty metres from shore.

"NICO!"

There was a chorus of shouts, ranging from "Nico!" to "Oh My God!", or "Oh no, no!", and "Shit!"

Harry, personally, didn't really shout. But that was mostly because that he had to act on instinct as Hermione cried out and shot forward like a Bludger. Grunting, he wrapped his arms around Hermione's frame, wondering where Hermione got all that strength from.

"Let go of me! Harry, let me go!"

The Boy-Who-Lived, or Lied, depending on who you asked, knew that Hermione wasn't thinking rationally right now. If she was, she wouldn't have suggested something like this. But like in the Forest, when Nico had been about to kill off Thalia, her emotions had ruled her actions rather than her brain. Harry could relate to that. He worried about Nico too, but he knew that right now, the field of battle was the last place for them. Harry had been ruled by his curiosity and concern back in the forest. Now, he was smarter. The battlefield was not where you wanted to be during one of Nico's fights.

"Let go of me, Harry! We have to help him! Please, Harry! If we don't help him, he will drown!"

Harry only tightened his grip. The Gryffindor knew that despite his powers, Nico was still human. And he knew what a severe cooling could do to a human body. But how could they help? First they would have to get past Percy… and seeing how he had just defeated Nico, what chance did they have? Defeated… the very word left a strange feeling in Harry's stomach. He had seen the aftermath of Nico's fights… seen his prowess in combat. Nico had probably drawn what could be considered first blood, but Percy had defeated him right afterwards. Nico had said that he had never beaten Percy in a fight with all powers allowed, but Harry had never imagined that Nico could be defeated so easily.

"I'm sorry Hermione, but there is no-!"

It happened so fast that Harry nearly missed it. In the blink of an eye, the air grew unnatural cold and the sky darkened. But what made him cut off himself was the violent ripple on the lake's surface. Then, the explosion came. It was like seeing a depth charge detonate. The plume of water rising was huge. Still, the shock of what emerged seconds later had Harry's mind going numb. He couldn't think, could barely breathe from the shock. Hermione had gone limb in his arms. His arm gave a violent throb as the terrified screams started up around him.

"But that's… that's the-!"

"But…! No…! This is impossible!"

"How… what… how can this be...?!"

"Run for your life! Di Angelo is going to kill us all!"

"What is that thing?!"

"It's… it's the Basilisk!"

Harry didn't know who said it, but his arm started burning with phantom pains. It couldn't be. Three years ago, aided by Fawkes, he had killed Slytherin's Basilisk. It should be rotting in the Chamber of Secrets, not making its way inland with Nico di Angelo standing on top of it. Looking around, he took in the terrified faces of Ginny Weasley, Justin Finch-Fletchly and Colin Creevey. Harry couldn't say he blamed them; it was one of their worst nightmares come back to haunt them with a vengeance. The great serpent had been terrifying alive. Reanimated, it was even worse. Three years later, and its body was still not fully decomposed. Its skin was sunken and even from where he stood, Harry could spot huge chunks of decaying flesh and chalk white bone. None of that, however, seemed to bother Nico at all as the zombie snake reached the shore. In fact, he calmly reached into his left sleeve and drew his wand, saying something to Percy as he casually flicked his wand. Trying to get his mind off the phantom pains in his arm, Harry focused on the now trembling girl in his embrace.

"Hermione… how did he… summon… that thing?"

Hermione laughed shakily, but it was a far from genuine. While she attempted to joke, it fell flat. "I read and know a lot of things Harry, but I'm not a walking encyclopaedia. And even if I was, I wouldn't be able to tell you. Why? Because it is not in any books I have read."

Ron, having heard them, turned his head slightly, face ashen and eyes wide. "What do you mean it isn't in the books? I'm pretty sure Necromancy at least must be mentioned."

Their bookish friend just chucked hollowly. "It is; but I've never read it fully explained. I doubt even the restricted section would have any books on Necromancy." She took a steadying breath. "Necromancy is one of the darkest Dark Arts there is, if not the darkest. It's one of the greatest violations of nature itself. Rumours have it that V-Vold-Voldemort, made use of Necromancy during the last war. When I said I wouldn't be able to tell you how he summoned that thing, it is because I have never read about it being done before. Oh, there are records of confirmed instances of Necromancy and the Necromancers responsible in History books… but… the greatest creature resurrected, in modern times anyways, was in 1419 by the infamous Lich King Neclor. According to sources he… it's said that he led a siege against Hogwarts on the back of a griffin skeleton. A griffin, Harry, a griffin. That is the largest known creature to have ever been resurrected… but now Nico has summoned the Basilisk of Slytherin and is controlling it. Necromancy on this level… it has never been done before."

Harry frowned, taking it all in. Something didn't quite add up. "But I thought Voldemort…"

"Voldemort is considered the most dangerous Dark Wizard of all time, yes. But history is long, and the Necromancers are often forgotten." Hermione shuddered. "Necromancy has been banned since before Hogwarts and today it warrants at least ten years in Azkaban depending on the circumstances. But this level…"

She didn't get to say more before she was cut off by people screaming.

"He is a Necromancer!"

"We have to remove him from Hogwarts!"

"He is a threat to us if he stays here! He has come to kill us!"

"Give him the Kiss before he kills us all!"

The last one shocked Harry. But before he could speak up, Seamus Finnigan spoke, though not loudly enough to silence anyone. "Oh, shut up will yer? If Nico really wanted you dead, do you think you would be here to be afraid? After what Malfoy pulled, I'm surprised he is alive. If you don't want Nico out for ya blood: Don't piss him off, idiots."

Harry didn't say anything, but he agreed with Seamus. Though, even he could understand the ones shouting for Nico' expulsion or imprisonment. The Basilisk had spread terror at Hogwarts a few years ago. Now, it had been reanimated and was being controlled by a fifteen-year-old boy with a vendetta. But what would happen if he lost control of the monster? Not for the first time, Harry wondered where the teachers were, or why all of them weren't running for the safety of the castle. Well, he had his suspicions about the latter: His fellow students were frozen with either terror or awe at the spectacular battle taking place.

11111

'A snake. Why, why are all the big monsters always snakes or related to snakes? Why can't they be related to hamsters or bunnies?'

Percy could only stare as his cousin made his way inland on the decaying serpent's head, and before he knew it, the snake was towering above him. Craning his neck back, he looked up and said the first thing that came to mind, his voice far calmer than he would have thought possible.

"That is a snake. A very big snake."

Nico let out a sardonic chuckle as he drew his wand and with casual flick dried his clothes before putting it back up his sleeve. "Observant as always, Percy. Tell me, what gave it away: The form or the teeth?"

The son of the Poseidon didn't answer Nico's jib. It was a known fact that Nico could be just as sarcastic as Percy, and had they been battling side-by-side, Nico would have said something along the same lines if Percy had come with comment like that.

Though, when Nico mentioned teeth, Percy couldn't help but look at the monster's maw, just to regret it seconds later. Each tooth was the same size of Riptide or larger, powered by muscles that were still rotting away. Eyes travelling further, Percy shuddered slightly at its empty eye sockets before meeting the gaze of his cousin. Speaking in a voice that belied his trepidation, the son of the Earthshaker addressed the son of Hades.

"How did you do this, Nico? You have never…"

Nico gave a smile, though it held no warmth as he raised the scythe. "This scythe has been bound to me… allowing me to summon it whenever I want. It acts as a conductor for my powers… especially my necromantic ones. It enhances them tenfold or more, letting me conserve energy. Though, I won't bother trying to explain how I forged it… you wouldn't understand it even if I tried. As for the snake: The political correct term is 'Basilisk'. Let's just say the reason I can summon it is a courtesy of one my classmates. He killed it some time ago and told me about it. It was difficult to summon it to me through magical barriers and underwater… but the results were well worth it. And now… _Get him._"

Percy startled violently at the hissing sound Nico switched to. He didn't understand it when Nico and some of the other demigods started hissing like that, but in this case, he got the essence pretty quickly as the gigantic snake opened its mouth and lunged for him, and he felt the air pressure from its powerful jaws snapping close where he had stood just seconds earlier. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the snake rearing up for another attack.

Percy felt like slapping himself as he started running away from the lake. Nico might be more tired than he was letting show, if his short breaths were anything to go by, but by summoning the basilisk and placing it between Percy and the water, he had more than evened the odds. Not only had he cut off Percy from getting his energy back, but he had also reduced his options for a counterattack from the lake.

Cursing under his breath, Percy spun on his heels, facing his cousin and the giant snake again. Though, the moment he turned around, he twisted to avoid the object that embedded itself deeply into the ground behind him with a thud.

'What was…?' Percy's line of thought trailed off as cool air hit his stomach. Looking down, he saw that there was a great tear in his blue sweatshirt. 'Huh? When did that happen?' The answer dawned on him all too fast and he looked over his shoulder. 'That's a new one.'

Embedded into the rock, sticking up like a cross, was a classical Greek formed sword made of Stygian Iron, some rune engraved into the side of the blade. It was shorter than Nico's first sword, but what really caught Percy's attention was the blood red fire curling around the blade.

"You don't have time to look away, Percy! I'm your opponent! _Kill him!_"

Percy's head spun around to come see the basilisk coming at him with open mouth, ready to swallow him whole. Cursing under his breath, Percy prepared for a stunt he had only used during practice… on much smaller targets. He quickly inhaled the cold December air. Then, he exhaled all of it and more. Result: A concentrated beam of water shooting from his mouth with the force of a water cannon.

The jet hit the giant serpent, and Nico was forced to raise its head less he be swept off. The water, however, didn't cut through the decaying flesh. But it wasn't meant to. Percy had come up with the idea for this trick to stop larger opponents in their steps, like Cyclopes. But it seemed to be working on the giant snake as well.

Upon hitting the serpent, the water froze to sub-zero temperatures and before long, the giant snake was encased by a five feet thick layer of ice, leaving only the upper part of Nico's head free, though the layer around him was much thinner.

'Still,' Percy mused as he tried to regain his breath, 'pretty good debut for this trick in combat. He has been completely immobilized.'

Allowing himself to relax slightly and taking a few more moments to catch his breath, Percy walked closer to Nico and shouted up to him.

"Are you done raging? Are you ready to talk or do you need to cool down a bit more?"

Nico glared, red eyes boring into stormy sea-green. "Don't mock me, Percy. This fight isn't over… not by a long shot."

Percy opened his mouth to say something, but then darkness surged in Nico's hands and what appeared to be a current of black lightning flew around the son of Hades, freeing his arms. Percy chuckled, crossing his arms as Nico panted and sweat born form exertion started to cover the younger boy's brow.

"I hope you didn't believe it would be that easy. This ice absorbs any kind of energy used to break it from within. That last trick… it seemed to take quite a lot of energy, but yet you only managed to free your arms."

Nico just glared, though a small smirk started to form. "That will be more than enough to escape."

Before Percy could say or do anything, Nico brought his hands together, but not before slicing open his left palm on the sharp edges of the ice, making blood flow freely. Before the palms smacked together, however, Percy noticed how the left hand seemed to have another fresh tear. The son of the Lord of the Underworld's hands smashed together, and once more, the air grew cold. Then, there was a roar from within the earth, and an explosion that sent rock and stone flying as the form started to emerge.

Percy felt a small trickle of sweat running down his face as the form burst from the ground, towering above him. 'Oh man...c'mon. Why me? It's incredible what Nico can do when he sacrifices some of his blood to enhance his Necromancy… and with that scythe boosting it even further... I'm just glad he hasn't sunken so low as to resort to his ultimate Necromancy yet… or perhaps he can't?'

He grimaced as one of the most infamous jaws opened up and clamped down on him, the Curse of Achilles being the only reason he wasn't bitten half. Unfortunately, it didn't bite hard enough to break its teeth

'And I who used to love these guys.'

Then he was smashed into the ice.

11111

Harry could only stare in astonishment as another form rose from the ground. This whole battle was surreal to him. Amazing and terrifying feats upon feats were being pulled by teenagers, and now this. He had seen the creature before of course… in books, movies and as toys. However, seeing one of them walking around, even if it was long dead… that was something else.

The creature was about forty feet long and eighteen feet tall at the hips with a five feet long skull, jaws filled with teeth designed for crushing bone. It was only bones moving around, but even Harry could identify the monster now using Percy as a hammer to crush the ice he had created. The Boy-Who-Lived briefly wondered how Percy's body could withstand the abuse from teeth and smashing, but if his yelling was anything to go by, he was very much alive.

"I don't believe it! First di Angelo summons the Basilisk of Slytherin, and now he has summoned the skeleton of a dragon to fight for him!"

Harry didn't see or hear who said it, but he had to shake his head at the person. Whoever it was, he or she had to be a pureblood since the person could confuse the skeleton with that of a dragon. And from the sounds of it, some First-Year disagreed heavily if the awe in his voice was anything to go by.

"That's no dragon! That's dinosaur! A T-Rex! This is awesome!"

Harry couldn't help but chuckle, but he was surprised that Percy, now facing Nico, the Basilisk and T-Rex wasn't surrendering. Harry doubted very much that Percy could fend off the three with a sword and a shield… a shield that Harry had no idea where had come from. He focused harder as the two weapon-wielding teens exchanged blows, the water user occasionally dodging out of the way of snapping jaws.

It happened so fast that if not for his years as Seeker, Harry wouldn't have seen it. Nico and Percy came face to face, and suddenly, Percy seemed paralyzed. But then he seemed to snap awake like if he had been given a heavy shot of adrenalin as he slashed and kicked at Nico, before being forced to roll out of the way as the Basilisk tried to snap him up.

Then, the battlefield was engulfed in heavy mist, obscuring the students' view completely. Holding their breath, they waited… and waited. Ron leaned closer, muttering.

"What do you think is taking the teachers so long? They should have been here by now. And what do you think is going on inside that mist?"

Harry shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe the teachers are trying to secure the people already inside the castle… as we should be. As for how they are fighting in the mist… what the!?"

They didn't see what happened, but they felt the shockwave from the explosion, and, if Harry was not mistaken, a slight tremor in the earth. None of that, however, really mattered to Harry as he took in the scene.

The heavy fog was gone. So was the Basilisk and T-Rex. Nico and Percy, however, remained standing, the ground around Nico now eerily similar to that of the Quidditch Pitch, identifying him as the one responsible for the blast.

Harry swallowed, a trail of sweat running down his neck. How Percy had survived the blast, he had no idea. Then again, he had no idea how Percy had managed to survive the fight up till this point. However, Nico's trick, whatever it was, seemed to have taken quite a toll on both of them. Both seemed to be shaking and trying to catch their breath. For a time they just stood there, looking at each other. Then, Percy flung out his arms and started to raise them. At first, nothing happened. But then, Harry felt the wind start to pick up and heard a deep rumble. But when he saw what was making the noise, he felt like laughing, even if there was nothing remotely funny about it. Others, however, did laugh, though Harry had a feeling they were just trying to cover up their shock.

"Damn…"

"This is… on a completely different level…"

"Is this… even magic?"

"Merlin help us…"

It was then the fight entered its final stage.

11111

Percy was cursing wildly as the T-Rex tossed him into the air, before gripping him around the ankles and smashing him into the ice one last time, allowing the giant zombie snake to slither out, Nico still standing on its head, though he seemed to be shivering from the cold. Growling, Percy slashed at the T-Rex with Riptide, to no effect. His reward for being used as an icebreaker was being hammered into the ground. Taking a moment to get to his feet and regain his balance after the wild swing, he softly swore under his breath.

"And I who used to love dinosaurs… guess being their chew toy can change one's opinion of them." He raised his head, just to see Nico approaching on foot, ready for battle. "No rest for the weary." He looked around and saw that the T-Rex and reanimated basilisk had taken up positions, completely surrounding him. "Well, this complicates things."

Tapping his wristwatch, his new shield, made by Tyson of course, sprang into existence. "You won't get me that easily, Nico."

The son of Hades stopped in his tracks, studying the intricate inscriptions of Percy's adventures, ignoring his aching body. 'Guess I won't be doing anymore Necromancy… takes too much energy. Then again, I could feel the school's magic working against me when I summoned the Basilisk… took a lot of power to bypass the barriers… just like with my Shadow Travel. Even trying to make use my ultimate summoning now would kill me. Last time I summoned them, the energy drain was great enough to put me out of commission for a month.' He took another step, pushing a down a grimace from his aching muscles. 'I need to end this fight now. As it is, I barely have energy enough for two big moves… even with the scythe stealing a little energy from Percy via the Ghost Fire. Heh, now that was a nice bonus effect I hadn't foreseen. Well… time to end this.'

Smirking, Nico raised his scythe. "Percy… what difference do you think that shield is going to make in this battle?"

As if to prove a point, the basilisk lunged from behind. Spinning on his heels, Percy placed the shield between him and the monstrous mouth, delivering a blow to the serpent's neck, cutting off a piece of decaying flesh. If the snake had been alive, it could have been a near fatal blow. As it was, it just turned its head, readying for another bout. Nico just chuckled.

"Let's see who first tires of that strategy, Perseus. Let me ask you again, what difference do you think that shield is going to make in this fight?"

Percy cursed silently as Nico laughed when he had to roll out of the way of the dinosaur's snapping jaws. 'He has a point… I will be the first one to tire at this rate. How does one kill an undead? Or rather, how does one kill an undead without being related to an Underworld god?'

He glanced over his shoulders, seeing the two creatures still trying to find an opening. 'To make matters worse… I'm running out of juice. Two big tricks, and I'm out. So… what do I do? Freezing them is out. For starters, one would just free the other… assuming they let me, and don't attack from the back. Damn Nico, you've played your hand well this time. Can't focus on them, or Nico will move in from the front. Can't attack Nico, or they will get me from behind. Ah shit, this is not good.' He shook his head slightly. 'Relax… calm down. Think.'

Deciding to stall for time, he raised the shield, peering over at it, looking directly at Nico. "A whole lot. This shield will be the reason I win. You see, this shield is what will defend me against your words spoken in rage… what will protect my friendship with you. You see the inscription closest to the centre? It's the symbols of our fathers, surrounded by the word 'Friends'. That is what will decide the winner of this fight."

For a moment, Nico was stunned into silence, a mask of disbelief on his face. But it vanished all too soon for Percy's taste, being replaced with cold indifference. "In that case… I will break the shield… this last defence of our friendship."

That was the only warning the son Poseidon got before Nico attacked, scythe ablaze with Black Hellfire and Ghost Fire, bringing it down in a deadly arc. Percy barely managed to deflect the blow, but then had to jump out of the way as a dinosaur jaw tried snapping him in half, just to duck under the poisonous maw of a huge snake. For how long it continued like that, Percy didn't know. All he could focus on was slicing, jabbing, blocking, dodging, ducking, jumping, rolling and making other moves that kept him alive, but he knew that one didn't win a fight by being on the defensive.

The son of the sea god snorted at his own deduction. 'No kidding. But it's hard to find an opening when you are surrounded… especially considering what is circling me. A T-Rex and a giant serpent would be bad enough on their own… their raw power combined with Nico's cunning, and you have an overwhelming force. I need to… whoa!'

It was more out of reflex than anything. Then again, most would raise one's shield when two blades ablaze with cursed fires are heading right for your head. Bringing his shield between his face and the deadly scythe, Percy got the shock of a lifetime when the two blades punctured the shield, their tips stopping inches from his face, letting their cursed flames lick at his skin. Instantly, the son of Poseidon felt his energy being drained and for the first time during their fight, he started to feel an ounce of fear.

'So that is the effect of the Ghost Fire! Shit, this is not good! I can't let him drain more of my energy!'

That thought firmly in mind, he twisted his arm, dragging the shield and scythe out of his view… just to come face-to-face with Nico, staring into a pair of glowing red orbs. Immediately, he felt himself grow dizzy as images flew through his brain at rapid speed.

Suddenly, they came to a screeching halt and Percy saw himself staring down at Annabeth's dying body. Her eyes were starting to glaze over and her dagger seemed to have been kicked into her abdomen.

"Percy… you failed me…"

Percy sank to his knees, doing his best to ignore the blood pooling beneath his girlfriend as he hugged her close. "Wise Girl… you're going to be okay… who did this?"

"Behind… you…"

With that, Annabeth's eyes glazed over completely. She was dead. Percy was about to let out a scream of anguish and fury, but it turned into one of agony as he felt a sword pierce him from behind, sending excruciating pain throughout his body. Blood running from his mouth, he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder, but before he could see his attacker, he was pushed to the ground and forced onto his back with a boot, allowing him to see his attacker holding Riptide, coated with his own blood.

Breathing was hard, but he still managed a single word. "Murderer…"

"No, Percy. An avenger." With that his attacker's hood fell, revealing Nico di Angelo staring down on him with malice. "I told you to get out of my way… you refused. You… her… you reap what you saw, Percy."

"NO!"

The son of Poseidon wasn't sure if it was himself or another screaming, but suddenly the scene changed and he was facing off against Nico, a double-bladed scythe tearing his shield as it was pulled back for another strike. Acting on instinct, Percy slashed with Riptide, forcing Nico to abandon his attack and guard himself as the swipe came for his head, the tip nicking his left cheek under the eye, drawing blood. Percy didn't really register that fact though, opting instead to aim a kick at his opponent's stomach, his kick powerful enough to force Nico backwards, despite the scythe having taken the brunt of the attack. But before the son of the Earthshaker could follow up, the Basilisk came at him with its mouth fully open, and he had to roll out of the way, the mighty beast forcing him back.

Pushing the shield's folding mechanism, Percy watched it fold back into its wristwatch form, though the watch now looked rather broken.

Growling at Nico, Percy clapped his palms, much like Nico did when summoning the T-Rex, and then he exhaled. Mist rolled across the field of battle… rolling inland from the lake and Percy's mouth, until a heavy cloak of fog covered the battlefield, lowering visibility to near zero.

Nico, having regained his breath, hoisted his scythe into a more defensive position. Barely had he gotten into position before he had to duck under a slash aimed for his head. But just as fast as the attack had come, just as quickly was Percy gone from his vision, leaving no opportunity for counterattacking. Glowering into the mist, Nico tightened his grip and listened. Then he spun on his heels, barely managing to block the strike. And just like before, Percy was gone before he could do anything. And again. And again. Each time, Percy would appear from the mist and disappear before Nico could make a counterattack.

'This is bad… I can't defend against his attacks when I can't see where they will come from. How do deal with this?' He blocked another swipe and retaliated, only to hit empty air. 'Damn it… how do you fight against an opponent that is practically invisible?!' He took a deep breath, silently berating himself. 'Calm down di Angelo, relax. Focus. Stay calm. Analyse the situation. You have been in tighter spots than this. So calm down and focus. Think. '

He closed his eyes, thinking deeper. 'I can't see him in this heavy fog… but I can sense his life aura. Now… where are you hiding, Percy?' Concentrating harder, he reached out with his senses for Percy's aura, only to frown with the result he got. 'That's strange… he is all over the place. But that can't be right. So why are my senses telling me… of course!'

He smiled into the Mist and called out. "Not bad Percy, not bad at all. When you made this heavy mist, you imbued it with your energy, making it impossible for me to find you through your life aura, rendering my sensory skills and eyesight useless. Very smart. However… like you dispelled my illusion, I will dispel this mist."

A plan started to form, but Nico knew that he would have to buy a little time, even with the energy siphoned from Percy to replenish a fraction of what he had used. And he knew just the topic to keep Percy occupied and from going into the lake.

'You should have jumped into the lake, Percy. The shore is now being guarded by both the T-Rex and Basilisk… though, not for long. It's getting harder keeping them under control. That's the problem with necromancy: The summoning is taxing enough in itself, but the more powerful the creature, the more focused and disciplined the controlling mind has to be to keep them in check. And as the fight drags on, the more tired I get. The more tired I get, the more my focus slips. Time to cancel the summoning I think.'

Bringing his left hand up in front of his face, index and middle finger pointing up, he instantly felt the Basilisk being banished back to the place he had summoned it from and the T-Rex sinking back into the ground, and he instantly felt the strain on his mind lessen. 'And now… time to end this.'

With that thought firmly in mind, he started stalling for time as he channelled energy into the scythe.

"I know you are wondering about how my illusions work, Percy. And I will tell you, but first you need to grasp the basic of normal Mist Manipulation, like what Thalia and Chase do." He knew he had Percy's attention, even if he couldn't see him. "When you snap your fingers, you summon the Mist to you and the victim. Once you and the victim are completely surrounded, you form an image or a scenario in your mind, and through your voice and words, the Mist conveys the illusion to your target and traps them."

He let out a low chuckle. "Of course, that is the most basic explanation. And like Charmspeak, it's most effective if you show the victim what he or she wants and expects to see. But fact remains that Mist Manipulation like this has one great flaw: It's slow. If one realizes what is happening, one can muster his willpower to resist or dispel the illusion altogether." He smiled coldly into the fog as he felt the power building in the scythe. Soon he would be ready. "I learned to look into people's mind, to extract their memories in order to detect lies. Then I realized… once the link was formed, I could project images into the mind of my victim. I draw a little of the Mist into my eyes and use it to project the illusion directly into the mind of my target. It doesn't matter what my victim or target wants or expects to see… the effect is instant… there is no defence against it."

He felt the energy in the scythe boil. "Or rather, there is no defence unless you are child of Hecate or the Big Three. Hecate's children are not immune to the Mist, but they have a varying degree of affinity for it, and as such, might be able to resist it… for some time. But even so, my illusions happen so fast that they can't build a defence in time, leaving more or less only the Big Three. While not immune either, it's much harder to fool or trap us with illusions; the natures of our fathers protect us. No one can predict the ocean, trap the sky or deny the stone will of death for ever."

Nico smiled as he felt the energy in the scythe beginning to crackle. But to ensure he had Percy's interest, he kept talking, his voice soft and with obvious fondness in it. "I taught my little sister to manipulate the Mist, you know. She didn't grasp it at first… but once she got the hang of it, she was exceptional. Given enough time, she could… no, would… have surpassed me in the art of Mist Manipulation. The only thing holding her back was her gentle heart. Once, during our training, I let my guard down and she caught me in an illusion… I woke two weeks later."

The son of Hades let out a sigh. "She was horrified and wouldn't stop apologizing for it, despite me telling her that it was my own fault. After that, she was hesitant about using illusions… she was worried she would hurt me. She was always so gentle and so kind… even to the people who treated her badly."

Nico's voice dropped to a whisper that was barely audible to his own ears, talking more to himself as Percy wouldn't be able to hear him, an ounce of shame and resignation in his voice. "I used to have a crush on you, you know? When I was younger. But I was young and impressionable… didn't know anything about love and sexuality. It lasted for some time, I will admit… but what does a thirteen-year-old know about sexuality and love? What does a fourteen-year-old know about these things? However, as I grew older and more aware of myself… and of your flaws… I realized that the crush on you was just that… a silly crush of a silly boy. I got over it... I even have a girlfriend now. I've never talked to anyone about this… not even Hazel who I would trust with my life."

His voice rose once as it hardened and grew icy cold. "Hazel was gentle and kind… I am not. Percy, I've had enough of this game of hide-and-seek… time to end it. But I guess that if I ever see him again, I should give Jason, one of the leaders of Camp Jupiter, my thanks. After all… he, unknowingly mind you, helped me perfect this move."

With that, Nico slammed the bottom end of the scythe into the ground. Tremors went through the earth as the underground explosion tore it open. Starting from Nico, a cobweb of destruction spread out. Black lightning shot up and ripped apart the ground, sending rocks and debris flying through the air.

It was over as soon as it started. The fog was gone, leaving only a barren patch of wasteland behind. Panting heavily, Nico waited for the dust to settle. Once it did, his red eyes instantly zoomed in on his cousin near the lake shore. Percy looked worse for wear, but he was still very much alive, and like Nico, panting heavily. Feeling his frustration grow, the son of Hades swore internally. 'Dang it Percy, just give up already.

Percy couldn't believe the pain he was feeling. 'I… I don't believe it… that black lightning didn't strike me directly… yet, one of the bolts came close to me and I was almost incinerated. But how did he create lightning? Nico is a son of Hades, not Zeus! So how…' He shook his head, his gaze meeting the red eyes glaring at him with blood thirst. 'I suppose it doesn't really matter. I have to end this fight… and I've to end it now. Nico's hatred and anger fuels him… makes his energy all the more potent.'

He looked at his own now trembling hands, then back at the son of Hades. Knowing what defeat here meant, the son of Poseidon mustered as much power as he could as he raised his arms. 'I'm sorry Nico, but this has gone on long enough. I'm sorry, but this ends now. I regret that I have to use this power, but I cannot allow you to win.'

The wind started picking up and Percy felt a violent tug in his gut as every piece of water, all from great lake down to small piece of snow and ice responded to his call. Then the rumble and the roar as several million gallons of water formed a colossal wave over the middle of the lake. A wave that was more or less as tall as a ten storey building. With a furious shout, the son of the Earthshaker made a pushing motion with his hands, sending the massive wave inland with thundering speed.

The son of Poseidon disappeared into the wave as it crossed the shoreline and moved towards the son of Hades, its devastating force ready to break his body.

Appearing in the now rapidly moving body of water so he could speak to Nico, he called out. "I'm sorry that I have to do this Nico, but I won't let you hurt Annabeth. I can still stop this wave. Give up now… come back to camp. If you don't… you leave me no choice."

The son of Hades looked at his cousin inside the massive wave of destruction and rage. But when he opened his mouth, he did something that would haunt Percy forever: He laughed; an insane laughter that chilled Percy to the core. And instead of answering him with words, the son of the Lord of the Underworld threw out his hands. Instantly, they became alight with Black Hellfire. But that wasn't all. Shadows and darkness sprang from around Nico and his body, merging with the cursed fire. The result: Black lightning crackling around his body. And much to Percy's shock and dismay, his cousin kept increasing the amount until the Necromancer was surrounded by the dark lightning. And when it all disappeared into Nico's body, the son of Poseidon knew what he was planning.

'No Nico… don't try it. Please don't try it.'

His silent plea fell on deaf ears as the son of Hades unleashed a wave of black lightning. When the cursed lightning hit the mass of water, Percy felt pure agony course through his body.

11111

It happened so fast. In one moment, Nico was surrounded by what Harry best could describe as an aura of black lightning. Then, it seemed to disappear into his body, but then it shot from Nico's outstretched fingers, slamming into the gigantic wave of water. But before anyone could question how effective it would be, they got their answer.

But it was hard to describe. The lightning seemed to mix with the wave, giving the form composed of many tons of water a black-striped look from head to toe. One second you could see black stripes in one place, the next they were gone as the water rippled as it moved.

Harry let out a strangled yell as he saw the monstrous wave seemingly swallow Nico whole, but the screams of terror rising up around him was well founded, for they had troubles of their own. Whatever Nico had done to the mass of water had only decreased its power and slowed it down. He hadn't stopped it completely; and now, the monster wave was heading straight for them.

Feeling pure panic spreading through himself and the ones around him, Harry raised his voice far louder than he had ever done before.

"Everyone, get as far away from here as possible!"

They might think him an attention seeking liar. But even the masses of Hogwarts students had sense enough to listen and follow directions.

"Run!"

"Hurry!"

Later, Harry would reflect on just how fast you can run uphill when a gigantic wave of death is closing in on you. Even so…

"We can't outrun it!"

That was the ugly truth of it. No matter if they had put more distance between themselves and the battle, the result would have been the same. But then, relieved shouts rose from in front of him.

"Dumbledore! The teachers! They are here!"

Whoever had shouted was right. Straining to see over the masses, Harry saw the headmaster running towards them with a speed greatly belying his age, the Heads of Houses right behind him and some of the other teachers like Hooch, Umbridge and a few others making up the rear. And the old headmaster didn't waste time.

Dumbledore swung his wand, pointing it directly at the wave and icy blue light shot from the wand, the power of the spell making the hair on Harry's head stand up and causing him to stumble slightly. However, when he saw what the spell had done, he realized why Voldemort never had sought to fight Dumbledore: The enormous wave, that only seconds before had threatened to swallow and crush Harry and the other students was gone, leaving only a wet trail behind.

'Where did that wave go? Did Dumbledore just banish it?'

The Gryffindor Seeker got his answer far quicker than he expected as a Slytherin First Year started shouting. "The Quidditch Stadium!"

Harry spun on his heels, looking towards the Quidditch Stadium. He looked just in time to see a massive form of water sweep it away.

Still being in a state of shock, the students turned once more towards the teachers as they approached, sweat on their foreheads. Dumbledore spoke in a grave voice.

"All of you, get behind your Head of House. Minerva, Severus, Filius and Pomona, you will form the second line of defence behind me." The elderly wizard's gaze swept across the battlefield, eyes settling on the two teens duking it out. When he spoke again, Harry thought he could hear a bit of curiosity in the voice of the headmaster. "My, my. I haven't seen this level of destruction in a one-on-one duel since my fight against Grindelwald. Though, it should be noted that we caused greater damage than this." He glanced over his shoulder, then back at the battle. "I don't think it is necessary to escort the students back to the castle. Their duel is coming to an end."

Harry gave the old wizard an incredulous stare as he fell in line with the Gryffindor students behind McGonagall, listening in as she explained that Dumbledore had used some sort of Space-Time spell to move the wave to the Quidditch Stadium. Harry didn't bother asking how the headmaster had done it. Instead, he focused on the fight still going on, and he felt his mouth open in surprise, just as Hermione and others exclaimed.

"But… but that is impossible!"

The Boy-Who-Lived didn't know how after everything they had seen, people could be surprised by what they were seeing now. Nico and Percy simply defied the laws of what people, even wizards, thought possible. Plus, he agreed with Dumbledore when the old headmaster spoke up.

"That is a very interesting and useful trick, Nico. I don't expect you want to teach me that? It would reduce my time spend on paperwork quite a bit."

That last line almost made Harry fall flat on his face. He hadn't seen that one coming, that's for sure. Shaking his head at Dumbledore's eccentrics, he watched as the fight came to an end.

11111

'I don't believe it.' Percy thought furiously as he deflected another blow from the scythe. 'Not only did the black lightning force me out to step out of the wave, thus ending my control of the water, it also carved a way for Nico. The lightning put darkness in the water, allowing him to slip through the shadows and go on the offensive.' The son of Poseidon blocked another blow and made a swipe at the son of Hades. 'Then again, it's typical Nico; always having something new up his sleeve… though, this definitely took a toll on him. But the same can be said for me. I can barely swing my sword. The Curse of Achilles… I can't remember ever feeling this drained. My whole body… it feels like it's on fire. If this fight drags out for much longer, I will be totally drained… I will lose'

That thought and what it would mean if he lost steeled Percy's resolve, and he pressed his body for more energy, giving him an extra boost of strength. As Nico lunged with his scythe again, Percy spun on his heels, dancing around the blow and with a precise strike to where the lower blade connected with the rest of the weapon, the son of the Earthshaker disarmed the son of Hades. Black Hellfire started to gather in Nico's right palm, but before the son of Hades could unleash it, the son of Poseidon grabbed his wrist in a vicelike grip and forced it around his back, bringing Riptide to Nico's neck in one smooth move.

Panting heavily, and feeling Nico still struggling, Percy tightened his grip slightly and pressed a little harder with Riptide.

"It's over, Nico! Give up! You've lost!"

The son of Hades turned his head as much as he could, a cold sneer on his face and fury burning in his eyes. His voice was cold and nothing more but a deadly whisper, but he didn't need to speak loudly to be heard by the son of Poseidon. "Perhaps. But…"

"…I wouldn't bet on it if I were you… cousin."

Percy went rigid for two reasons: One was the voice. The other was the tip of something very sharp poking into his back, right above his mortal spot. Already fearing what he would see, he turned his head to look over his shoulder. What he saw almost floored him then and there:

A second Nico, who looked and sounded just as battered as the one he held in an iron grip, was glaring at him with red eyes, aiming his black sword right at his vulnerable spot, the tip mere inches away. Shocked to his core, Percy spoke in incoherent sentences.

"Nico… how did you… when did you…?"

Both of the Nicos chuckled and spoke simultaneously. "Well that depends on what you are talking about: If you are talking about how and when I figured out your Achilles Heel: It was during one of our first sparring fights at Camp. It wasn't that hard, actually. You would guard your back with far more fervour than your front… you especially seemed very panicky whenever I would aim for your lower back."

Both chuckled again. "I put an effort into knowing the weaknesses of every demigod with special powers… be they Greek or Roman…so that I can neutralize them should they ever go rogue or get brainwashed by our common enemies. That is a major difference between the two of us, Percy. You will do anything in your power to save your former comrade… I will do what I deem necessary."

They chuckled once more, though, it held no humour. "It's ironic, isn't it? That I would learn the weaknesses of others in order to counter them should they go rogue… and now I have gone rogue in the eyes of both camps. As to how I did this… I formed the other me by combining my blood with shadow... basically, I made a shadowy copy of myself. I can see, sense and talk through the copy, making it ideal for scouting… though, it's very draining. At my current state, attempting to make a Shadow would kill me on the spot. I performed the spell when I had plenty of energy to spare… when I threw the sword at you; the flames were red because of my blood on the blade. After it struck the ground, it was simply a matter of waiting for the right time to summon the Shadow."

A snarl crept into the voices of the two Nicos. "I already told you how my illusions work, Percy. Make no mistake… the Shadow is just as real as I am." As if to prove a point, the Nico behind him prodded him with tip of his sword, just to the right of the spot before taking aim again. "So… it would seem we have reached a standoff. What will it be? If you strike the one you hold, I will strike from behind. If you aim for the one behind, which should be more than possible with your enhanced speed, the one in your grip will escape. Can you tell which one of us is the real Nico? You need to make a choice, Percy; truth… or illusion?"

Percy was silent for a few seconds before leaping into action. Letting go of the Nico he had been holding, he spun on his heel, slashing the Nico behind him across the chest with Riptide before spinning around again; just for Riptide to clash against the scythe. Venturing a glance over his shoulder, Percy saw blood spill from the wound he had inflicted before Nico melted into shadow.

"Not bad Percy, not bad at all. How did you know which one was the real one and which was the Shadow? After all, you couldn't risk being wrong."

Turning back to look at his cousin, the son of Poseidon's green eyes once more met red. Breathing heavily from the exhaustion starting to kick in, Percy spoke as calmly as possible.

"Simple: How many times have we not fought side-by-side, back-to-back… like brothers? I know you, Nico… you wouldn't bother with setting a trap unless you were sure the bait would be taken… you would never risk your life so carelessly… that is my job, isn't it?"

Percy sighed deeply before speaking again, this time with a curious undertone. "Nico, you've had plenty of chances to kill me… yet I'm still alive. In short, despite how you much you try to deny it, you still have kindness or goodness inside of you. You still know right from wrong, which stilled your hand against Thalia, even if someone had to remind you of it."

Nico tilted his head to the side but didn't confirm or deny anything, so Percy forged on. "After your disappearances from Camp, your dad made a simple demand: Find my son before the winter solstice or there will be war and I will have every demigod hunted down and killed." He looked deeply into the eyes of the son of the Lord of the Underworld and spoke with sincerity.

"Nico… I know you don't think you have much reason to, but, please, at least call your dad. Your head might have forgotten, but your heart still knows right from wrong. Don't let your anger at Annabeth, however warranted, blind you. Don't prove those who badmouth you at Camp right. Prove them wrong. Prove them wrong by saving their lives, yet again, and come back to Camp… come home."

The son of Hades was silent, as if considering Percy's words. Then, he spoke. "It's too late for that, Percy. You talk about me proving them wrong and coming back to Camp… about forgiveness. So you want me to forgive them their treatment of me, excusing them. And if I come back and forgive them… if I call my father and have him call off his threat… then how long before another attempt will be made on my life? No Percy, it's too late for that. People have treated me as an enemy for too long. If it's an enemy they want… it's an enemy they shall get."

He sighed. "Percy... when I had you choose between the real me and the Shadow, you choose to attack the Shadow… you saw through the lie… the illusion. It served an important point: I wanted to see if you could see through my illusions, for if you can see through my illusions, you should be able to see through the ones created by Chase. So if you see through my illusions and dispel them, but don't do the same with the lies crafted by Chase, it can only be because you choose to believe and follow the lie over reality."

Coldness crept back into Nico's voice. "You want to me to forget and forgive Chase too, right? For the attack on my sister… yet, I wonder: Would you be willing to talk about forgiveness… would you would be willing to forgive me… if I attacked and killed Chase?" A tensioning in Percy's jaw and Nico smiled. "I thought so. Even if you beat me now… even if you drag me back to Camp by the hair, it will change nothing. I will never forget this final insult, much less forgive. You will have to kill me Percy, or I will come back for Chase's blood. And make no mistake… I will kill her."

They moved at the same time, twisting their weapons and bodies to disarm the other. Result: Both weapons went flying and they stumbled away, creating a small gap between them. Both called upon their remaining reserves of energy, unleashing their final assault.

Both palms facing towards Nico, Percy summoned the power of a miniature hurricane and compressed it into a ball before sending away from him. The son of Hades had brought up both of his hands, palms facing each other, mixing and condensing Black Hellfire and shadow, creating the black lightning from earlier. With a yell, Nico thrust out his hands and a jet of densely packed Hell Lightning flew away, colliding midway with Percy's attack.

Their power was low, but the impact of the two attacks and the following explosion of wind, water and lightning were still more than enough to blow both teens off their feet, leaving and hitting the ground as they went. When they landed, they were more than twenty metres apart.

With a low groan, Nico pushed himself to his feet, ignoring his screaming muscles and his left arm now dangling uselessly at his side as blood poured from both arms, soaking his torn clothes. Likewise, blood ran from the corners of his mouth and eyes, every breath hurting more than the last. Combined with the glare he was shooting Percy, he looked like a demon. And it didn't get any better when the fury still burning in his eyes turned to hatred as his legs gave out beneath him, making him fall to his knees.

Percy groaned as he finally got back on his feet, his breathing laboured and every muscle in his body burning with pain. Blood wasn't pouring from him, but the son of Poseidon knew that if not for the Curse of Achilles, he would be in just as bad shape as Nico. Not just from the blast, but also from the strain the last move had put on both of them.

Panting heavily, Percy addressed his younger cousin. "You've grown strong, Nico… very powerful. No one has ever pushed me this far. Just breathing sends pain through my body… but now… now it's over."

With that, Percy took a single step forward… and instantly, he froze in his tracks. 'What… my body… it… I… can't… move.'

Black spots started dancing before his eyes and the ground seemed to fly upwards. The son of Poseidon was unconscious before he hit the ground, face down.

Nico stared at the form of his cousin on the ground. Then, ever so slowly, a smile spread across his face. "I… I did it. I… did… it. I… won."

The son of Hades didn't register the shouting from somewhere behind him or the explosion of fire overhead as he slumped forwards, the darkness of unconsciousness claiming him.

11111

"NICO!"

There was a surge of movement from the students, the Gryffindors Fifth Year boys in particular, as they tore past Professor McGonagall, running towards the battlefield at full speed.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom, get back here this instant! Stop, Mr. Weasley! No, Ms. Granger, get back here! Mr. Finnigan, Mr. Thomas, stop!"

None of them listened as they ran, though they faltered slightly as a fireball exploded high in the sky, making Harry slow his speed for a fraction of a second, just enough to hear Dumbledore say "Ah, youths these day. Always in a hurry. Let's join them, shall we?"

Shaking his head slightly, Harry continued his dash, coming in only second to Neville to stand around Nico as the one who had made them run with fire came to a halt besides Percy, the girl and the boy with the crutches following right behind him. The blonde kneeled and put her fingers at Percy's neck, then let out a relieved sigh that could be heard over the wind. Then, she turned her head, glaring bloody murder in their general direction, the ferocity of her gaze shocking even Harry slightly. Still though, the greatest shock came when Neville spoke, drawing his wand.

"Whatever you're planning, you can forget about it."

Annabeth stood, eyes turning from Nico's prone form to Neville, her voice deceptively calm. "I've nothing against you, but step aside. This has nothing to do with you. This is a problem between Nico and our camp. There is no reason for you to get involved."

Neville chuckled. "I will have to disagree with you on that, Miss. You see, Nico is my friend. And I will not stand idle by while he is being threatened and is unable to defend himself."

Dean drew his wand as well. "Neither will I. Unlike you, I cherish Nico as my friend. His powers might be way over the line of Dark, but he has never used them unless provoked. I guess you're in the same boat as those Hunters… last time, they took us by surprise and bested us, I will admit that. But we have seen your type before: People who come to a place, throwing their weight around, expecting others to let them have their way. At the end of the day, you're nothing more than a school yard bully."

Seamus also drew his wand. "Nico is my friend too. Not only did he slap some sense into my thick skull, but he has been kind to those who are kind to him. Night after night I've seen him help the younger students with their homework, even carrying them to bed when they fell asleep in our common room. People might have forgotten the kindness he has shown them in the past, but I haven't. What I'm trying to say is that if you want Nico, you have to go through me first."

Ron too drew his wand. "I will admit any day that Nico's power terrifies me. But even so, I won't just hand him over to some strangers when he clearly doesn't want to go with them."

Neville chuckled as more and more students from Gryffindors, even First Years, joined them with wands drawn, forming a wall between Nico and the small group surrounding Percy. "What we are trying to say is: Nico, despite some of the things he has done… despite him not sharing some of our morals and ideals… he is one of us. He belongs here. And if you disagree with that… if you try to take him with force... super powers or not, you will have to fight us... all of us."

Harry saw Annabeth open her mouth to say something, but then the fire-wielding boy spoke up.

"Annabeth… enough."

Annabeth turned to look at the youngest of their group. "What?"

The son of Hephaestus walked forward, taking point in their formation and when he spoke, all could hear the admiration in his voice. "Can't you see it in their eyes? They are serious. If we try taking Nico with us by force, we will have a fight on our hands."

Annabeth frowned. "But we need to bring Nico back to Camp. Not only would that stop his father, but he could have valuable information-"

Leo cut her off. "I don't know where all of this hatred and coldness of yours is coming from Annabeth, but it has blinded you. The way you talk… it's that way of thinking that has caused all of this." He sighed. "You reap what you saw, Annabeth. The people at Camp have long treated Nico like an enemy or as a mere tool to save them, never thinking about the consequences of their actions. And I'm ashamed to say this, I but joined that club."

Annabeth's features shifted to shame and confusion. "Leo…"

Leo held up his right hand, calling fire to his palm and instantly saw more sticks being pointed at him. He smiled ruefully. "Back at Camp… when people found out I was Fire User, they treated me with distrust… they even feared me. But as they grew to know me, and after fixing Festus, I won their respect, even becoming the Head Councillor of Cabin Nine. For the first time in years I was accepted for whom and what I was… I was happy. So happy, that I forgot the one who was like kin in spirit to me: Nico di Angelo."

He sighed, looking deeply into the fire, not realizing that had the attention of everyone. "After my mother died in that fire, the rest of my family, the people who should have comforted and loved me… they called demon child and shunned me. I've no idea how many nights I cried myself to sleep, asking myself why the people who should have cherished me hated me… asking myself why I kept existing if no one needed me. I decided to adopt a happy-go-lucky attitude, and for years, it fooled people. Then, after running away from several foster homes I came to Wilderness School where people either hated or liked my jokes and personality, but it didn't matter, for no one knew the truth behind the mask. Then someday, a creepy kid dressed in all black walks up to me and says: *_Drop the mask or you will never realize the true you. Only by realizing the true you will you understand your power… your true power.*_"

The son of the Blacksmith god chuckled slightly. "Needless to say, I wasn't pleased and I told him that if he didn't shut up, I would teach him a lesson. He said: *_You can't; because you are too weak to face yourself, let alone me.*._ I wasn't about to let that slide, so I followed through on my threat. Imagine how humiliated I felt when a kid, younger and smaller than me, placed me face-first into the ground and sat on my back, making him the victor. Then he told me: _*You are about to make a journey that will change everything you know. When you can face yourself… when you know your true self and power… come face me again.*_"

Leo sighed. "That was how I first met Nico di Angelo. Later, when I came to Camp, I still found him creepy, but when I learned of what he had done, I came to admire him. He didn't let people's treatment of him get to him, and when it came out that I was a Fire User, and the people at Camp and my own Cabin started rejecting me, he sought me out and helped me master my abilities. As my mastery of my powers grew, people came around again… I won their respect and acceptance. But Nico, whose abilities and mastery of them were far greater than mine… people kept shunning him."

Leo's shoulders slumped as he continued his monologue. "And yet I did nothing. I never treated him badly and we had lots of fun together… but I never tried to stop or change the way people treated him. I was so happy to be finally accepted and having friends that I neglected the one person who showed me kindness to begin with."

The son of Hephaestus looked at where he knew Nico to be lying, sadness in his eyes and voice. "I understand his pain… if only a little. The pain of always being alone… of having no one truly caring for you… it's unimaginable. People saw my power over fire as a curse and an omen of bad things to come, and thus they shunned me. But as they grew to respect me, they accepted me wholly… but never Nico." He took a steadying breath as not to break down. "Nico and I are the same… except for our father. Because of his parentage, people at Camp have, and probably always will, feel that he don't belong and shun him as a result. And yet, at a new school for magic, where his powers are considered dark and evil, he has found acceptance and people who are willing to fight for him… like true friends should… like a true family should."

Leo changed to look at the students of Hogwarts. "I'm as guilty as the rest of the Camp. By being passive, I indirectly helped in pushing Nico over the edge… just as Percy and the others who called us ourselves for Nico's friends. We were never able to see through his mask. To see that he has found a home here at Hogwarts... it brings me great happiness… and guilt. Happiness for Nico… and guilt for being such a lousy friend to him."

His eyes hardened as he steeled his resolve and the fire in his palm died out. "I will not try to force Nico from his new home. Not only wouldn't it end well for me, but more importantly, it wouldn't be fair."

Annabeth gave him a shaken look, and her voice was small. "Leo… Camp…"

Leo just sighed. "We brought this problem upon ourselves… but I've faith in Nico will do the right thing."

The daughter of Athena gave him a strange look, but before she could say anything, Leo continued.

"Yes, I've faith that Nico will do the right thing. He had plenty of chances for killing Percy… yet he didn't. Nico still knows right for wrong. He will not let innocent suffer for the mistakes of the guilty." He dug through his pockets, withdrawing a golden coin. He looked at it before tossing it towards the students pointing their wands at him. "Nico once entrusted me with his life… now it's time for me to return the favour. When he wakes up… show him that coin and ask him to call his father… he will know what to do."

Leo looked at Annabeth, then Grover. "We are done here. Let's get Percy up and let's go."

Just as he turned around, there came a shout. "You're not going anywhere!"

Turning around once more, Leo had just time to duck under a jet of red light. Calling fire to his palms again, he faced the one who had taken a shot at him. Once his eyes settled on the offender, he blinked once before speaking with an obviously forced friendly voice. "We did not come here to fight. We do not want to fight, but we will defend ourselves and…" He trailed off before speaking again. "By the way… who are you?"

"I'm Dolores Umbridge, High Inquisitor of Hogwarts and Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, and none of you are leaving this place. You will be brought in for questioning and then taken to court for endangering the lives of innocents."

Leo blinked, once, then twice, before speaking, confusion clear in his voice. "High Inquisitor and Undersec… wait, what? I'm confused… is that supposed to mean you are some kind of authority? Because we don't do with authorities. As for bringing us in for an interview… what if we say no?"

Umbridge smiled. "Then we will arrest you using force. Aurors! Get them!"

Harry saw four of the people he had at first thought to be teachers walk forward, wands drawn. However, just as they got in front of the Headmaster and the other students who had caught up to the group of Gryffindors, they froze in shock as some students let out yells and took several steps back. Reason: a massive form was descending and within seconds it landed, looming over the small group.

As the massive dragon of bronze and gold opened its mouth, a flame already ignited, Leo looked up at the automaton, then at the Aurors and Umbridge. "Festus says no too. But if it's a fight you want… Tyson, you might want to come down; Percy could use your help. Festus, activate deflector shield and all weapon systems. Prepare to engage hostile forces, standby."

Harry openly gaped as a huge lumbering form jumped down from the metal dragon's back. But that was nothing as the bronze and gold plates started to shift, both in form and location, revealing what appeared to be a small machineguns and warheads underneath. Hell, from its back popped out what looked like a small version of an artillery gun and a large scale Taser, and to complete the picture, a force field was covering dragon and the people under its belly. Smirking, Leo spoke to Umbridge and the Aurors.

"Make your move, Piggy. My guns are bigger than yours."

Harry almost laughed at the expression on Umbridge's face, but he couldn't help feeling slightly sorry for the Aurors. A real dragon could be bad enough and he remembered all too well the Hungarian Horntail's fire and tail. The Horntail had had the weapons natural to a dragon. This dragon had that and more. He thought back to the Triwizard Tournament's first task and how he had faced the Hungarian Horntail. Then he imagined instead of the Horntail, he had to get past the one now facing the Aurors. He imagined flying on his Firebolt, just to get shot out of the air by an AA-gun, Taser and whatever nasty surprises that mechanical dragon had in store. And he didn't like when Annabeth spoke, shock in her voice.

"Leo… how… when…?"

Leo just chuckled. "What, Festus can turn into a boat, yet this surprises you? He was awesome when I found him, but now, after arming him a bit and giving him some minor upgrades, he is a booty-kicking dragon with a fighting weight at sixty tons." He looked at the Aurors. "So, what do you say? Want to go a few rounds?"

The Aurors looked at each other and quickly came to an agreement: They lowered their wands. Leo smirked and said. "Good move. Now… who of you are actually in charge here?"

Umbridge had a look of utter outrage on her face, but before she could say anything, Dumbledore walked forward. Apparently, that wasn't what Leo had expected, and he certainly didn't expect Dumbledore casually continuing his stroll as Festus cocked some of the weapons, locking in on the moving target. Curious, Leo addressed the elderly man.

"And who are you, gramps?"

Harry had to do his best to suppress the snicker threatening to escape his lips, and he wasn't alone. Especially when he saw the affronted looks on the faces of Hermione and Ernest Macmillan, and hearing McGonagall indignantly cry out, but Dumbledore just smiled pleasantly.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster. And you will have to forgive me, but young Mr di Angelo reminded me of good manners. He said it was very rude to ask for a name without first introducing yourself. So if you don't mind me asking, who are you young man?"

Leo blinked before smiling and extinguishing the flames in his hands. "It definitely sounds like Nico reprimanding people for bad manners. Festus, stand down." Leaning to look around Dumbledore as the automaton dragon retracted its weapons, the son of Hephaestus addressed Umbridge. "Now, a headmaster I understand what is; an authority… one who is in charge." Refocusing on the elderly man, Leo answered the question. "My name is Leo Valdez. The girl is Annabeth Chase, and those two behind me are Grover Underwood and Tyson."

At the mention of his name, Tyson turned, gently holding Percy in his arms. "Hello."

Albus smiled. "Hello to you as well, young Cyclops." Ignoring some of the startled mutterings behind him, Dumbledore peered at Leo, seriousness in his eyes and voice. "If the Aurors had attacked, would you really have endangered the lives of my students by returning fire?"

Leo sighed. "Honestly: Yes. I wouldn't like it, but they would leave me no choice as we can't afford to be detained now. Annabeth is right about one thing: This problem is between Percy, our Camp and Nico. But for what it's worth, I'm sorry that your students were endangered and that your school became a battleground in a conflict that was not yours. Which is why that I ask you to let us leave as peacefully as we can now; there is no reason for you to get more involved in this conflict and risk becoming casualties in a fight that has nothing to with you."

Dumbledore's blue eyes looked long and hard into the brown ones of Leo. Seeing or hearing no sign of deceit, the old man gave a sigh, then a smile. "I believe you. No one here will try to stop you."

Leo nodded, gratitude slipping onto his face. "Thank you."

Giving some light knocks on Festus's right front leg, the son of Hephaestus and his friends stepped aside as the massive metallic dragon knelt, allowing them to climb aboard, some more grudgingly than others. Once Leo was seated in the front, the dragon stood once more. Looking down from his position, Leo spoke again.

"I know you probably want to ask Nico some questions… I do too… but do not push him. You have seen what he can do. And honestly… trying to force the answers from him… that will not end well."

"Wait!"

The girl shouting brought a lot of attention, and Leo watched with some amusement as she broke free from her friends and ducked under the arms of one of the Professors, running straight for them. Looking down from his seat, the son of Hephaestus almost missed the twinkle in the old man's eyes as he spoke the question for Leo.

"Did you want to say something Miss Granger? It must be important for you to evade Professor McGonagall."

Hermione blushed slightly at that, but she regained her bearings fast enough as she started to rummage for something in her pockets. Apparently finding what she was searching for, she pulled an object out, looked at it for a moment before tossing it up to Leo, who deftly caught it in his hands.

When Hermione spoke, her voice was tinted with anger and curiosity. "Nico tossed that necklace into the fire in Gryffindor Tower. I took the liberty of making a new cord and string the beads together."

Leo stared at the necklace in his hand. The cord was new, according to what Hermione had said, but the beads were blackened from soot and ash, and the motives were only faintly recognizable for a very trained eye. Pulling out his own necklace from underneath his combat cloak, the son of Hephaestus answered the unasked questions.

"At Camp, after each summer, a new bead is added to our necklace. The heads of the Cabins votes on the most important or interesting event of the summer and then paints a picture to represent that event." He sighed sadly as he gazed at the almost destroyed necklace. "But the necklace is an also a symbol on the bond of friendship between the campers and the Camp. That Nico has tossed it into the fire… it's a way to show that he has severed his bond of friendship with Camp… and the campers." Glancing over at where he knew the son of Hades lay, Leo spoke with sincere sadness in his voice. "People of Hogwarts… please, be good to him. Treat him better than we did. Nico deserves that." He patted the dragon's neck sadly. "Festus… let's go."

With that, the metallic dragon took a few steps backwards before launching into the air and flying away from Hogwarts grounds, leaving behind a shocked group with many questions and few answers.

00000

Jason slid on his mask as he and his squad walked into the cold night air, Lucius Malfoy and some of his associates walking right beside them. They had gotten word. It was time to hunt some Greeks.

End chapter 15

**AN2/2: Longest chapter to date. But this is another chapter that kick-started 'Dark Phoenix' and it's probably the chapter I have wanted to write the most. I considered dividing it into two chapters, one focusing solely on the battle and the other focusing on the reactions of the students, but I decided that it would be too troublesome for me and the readers. For those of you who are wondering why Nico didn't demolish the Romans when he was fighting them: There were given a few hints to that in this chapter. And no, Jason will be no pushover compared to Nico and Percy. While I think he is weaker than them and doesn't have attacks capable of the same level of destruction, he will have some abilities that make him a troublesome opponent. **

**I would like to give some acknowledgements to Ace1412 for black lightning idea and another reader/reviewer, whose identity eludes me right now, suggested giving Percy more advanced cryokinesis (ice) powers. Those two helped me out a lot. Also, I would like to say thank you to Kerowyn6 for doing a fanart to 'Dark Phoenix' Link can be found in my profile.  
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**Also, this will be the most destructive and last big battle before the battle at the Ministry. There will be some minor but rather important skirmishes every now and then though. **

**Lastly, I will say this once more: Events of the 'Heroes of Olympus' series haven't, and most likely won't, take place. Some of the characters and their biography might be the same with minor twists, but overall, this fic doesn't follow 'HoO' canon. Percy and Jason never lost their memories and went to the other camp, they haven't been fighting any of the giants, etc.**

**I was very torn about adding the part with Nico's 'confession' and I might remove it later as I still have doubts about how much it belongs in this chapter and in its context. Plus, him willingly admitting it seems awfully OOC, even if he has matured a lot. But to me, it serves its purposes. 1) Hopefully I won't get anymore more people annoying me with saying Nico is OOC by being with Hermione and 2) Correcting what I think is Riordan's biggest mistake/failure. If Nico turns out to be gay or bi-sexual, then so be it. He will still be my favourite character. It was the way it was revealed and explained that had me wanting to put a gun to my head. As Nico said, what does a thirteen/fourteen-year-old about love and sexuality? Also, there was never given any hints to it, so why the f did Riordan go about it that way? It was the same with the LupinxTonks pairing. Tonks introduced in book five, revealed that she had feelings for Remus in book 6, they marry and have child in book 7… all of it happening off-screen and brought up out of the blue… are you kidding me? **

**Anyways, enough of my ranting. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, for I spend a lot of time on it.**

**Yours, **

**Lightningscar **

**Sneak peek for next chapter.**

"How bad is he Poppy?"

"As well as one can expect to be after forcing a spell while being low on Mana."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not."

"I refuse."

00000

"Ah, my friends. Welcome. Please, do seat down"

"Do you really trust them? After meeting their leader?"

"About as much as Octavian wants to friends with the Greeks."

00000

"You have some explaining to do."

"Percy, please."

"Please leave me alone, Annabeth. Just… leave me alone for a while, okay?"

"I'm afraid that isn't an option."

00000

"There has been an attack."

**Next time on 'Dark Phoenix'. Chapter 16: A Fire in the Dark.**

**Time for anonymous reviews: **

Devil's Spawn chapter 14 . May 11

I know I've already said this, but PLEASE UPDATE! IF YOU DON'T I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN WITH A SWORD AND KILL YOU! So yeah, I have just asked you very nicely(not really) to update, so please update soon.

Devil's Spawn

**Response: Killing me would be rather counterproductive to getting an update, don't you think? XD**

Guest chapter 14 . May 11

Did you know Hermione is a Ancient Greek name? Hermione was the daughter of King Menalaus and Queen Helen of Sparta. Queen Helen being THE Helen...the most beautiful woman in the world the faced that launched a thousand ships.

**Response: No, I did not know that. Thank you for telling me **

Angel of death chapter 14 . Apr 29

WWWOOOOOAAAHHHHHH! You did not!

Hey my sister watches narruto too! Oh if your stuck here is a paragraph that could be in the next chapter

They both paced, looking like animals beginning to engage in battle.

"Bloody hell, they were serious..." Ron whispered into Harry's ear, yet audible enough for everyone to hear.

From there, Neville could sense all the raw power radiating from the two. Good god, it was more powerful than Jason. He wanted to run and hide, yet he steeled his nerves to watch the battle.

Nico lunged so quickly, Neveille winced. The other boy , Percy, parred at equal speed, then jabbed with his sword. The shadows surrounded Nico, then he appeared in a new one.

Can't waittttt! My name is angel of death( well not really) call me that for now since I don't have an account.

chapter 14 . Apr 30

TTTHHHHAAANNNKKK YYYYOOOOUUUUU for not putting Nico with an OC. I hate it when that happens! Ccccooooooooookkkkkkkkiiiiiieeesss(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(:

**Response: Did what? End it with a cliffhanger? I sure did XD And I considered using some of those lines… actually, I think I did… to some degree at least. Yeah, putting Nico with an OC was never really an option. And thank you for the cookies XD **

unnwone chapter 14 . Apr 28

Stop with the teasers I mean you have one of the greatest stories ever and you torture us with trailers also I think when you finish this story you should have a sequel

**Response: Nah, have to have a little fun teasing my readers… keep them on their toes ya know. Regarding a sequel: I have some ideas, but for now I will focus on my real life and this story. **

Guest chapter 14 . Apr 26

could you do a story of nico meeting meeting the draculas in season 5 with a romance between nico and ingrid that would be a great story

**Response: Not likely. I've more than enough on my plate as it is. Also, have no idea what series you're referring to, so I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you.**

guest chapter 14 . Apr 25

Oh god this is wonderful. I always dislike Annabeth for her hypocritical ways. I think Percy is too calm in the face of betrayal. I hope Nico gets his vengeance. Thank you and please update soon.

**Response: Things might not quite be as they seem my friend.**

Guest chapter 14 . Apr 17

Great chaper. Will percy be able to get water from the Great Lake to fight with or not because if not he might lose to nico if so he is going to win. In your next chapter can you talk more about Jason and lord voldemort's meeting the suspense is killing me. Also please consider Leo and nico teaming up maybe Leo could have a dream about hazel and his grandfather and Leo would want to side with nico.

**Response: I hope this chapter answered your first questions. Regarding Jason and Voldemort's meeting: More on that will come. Probably not going to have Leo dream about Hazel, but I hope this was satisfying enough. **

Guest chapter 14 . Apr 11

This was a great chapter

I could practically feel nico's rage when he was talking to percy I really hate annabeth and Thalia too I can't wait for the next chapter

**Response: Thank you. As for hating Annabeth and Thalia. I do not hate them, if that is what you are insinuating. **

I'm a Guest chapter 14 . Apr 10

Hello! I spent a good day reading your entire fic up to the chapter I'm reviewing on! It's a very wonderful story, though I believe Nico may have been a bit OOC, however, with your story's dynamics and character development, I can say that the (new) Nico you've been writing isn't OOC, I think your Nico responds exactly as how he would! He certainly has grown quite a bit. Also, the way you write action is absolutely phenomenal, as I greatly enjoy every tense moment you have written! Although I dislike the shipping, I like how you don't let other people's dislike get to you, keep on writing what you love! I look forward to the next chapter!

**Response: People being OOC in this fic is bound to happen. They are older, and I've allowed myself to give them a touch of how I want them to be, especially if a bit older and hardened. Plus, this fic targets an audience that is a bit older than what Rick is targeting. But I'm happy to hear you approve of the character dynamics and character development. **

**Heh, writing action has always come somewhat easy to me. It helps watching anime and other action movies and trying to describe in your mind what is happening. **

**Yeah, I took quite a bit of heat for the pairing… but seeing how people failed to come with some sound arguments as to why not, the pairing stays until it's time for it to end. Thank you for your understanding on that. **

**Hope this chapter met your expectations. **

WomanoftheWind chapter 14 . Apr 3

You are such an amazing writer, I love it! If only fanfiction was published... anyway, will Voldemort come into this ever?

Love your writing,

WomanoftheWind

**Response: Thank you. And yeah, Voldemort will make an appearance… in next chapter. **

RandomEpicPerson chapter 14 . Mar 22

Oh my gods... WTF IS HAPPENING! This chapter made me sob...

**Response: Keep reading to find out what is happening. **

[report review for abuse] RandomEpicPerson chapter 14 . Mar 22

Oh my gods... WTF IS HAPPENING! This chapter made me sob...

Guest chapter 14 . Mar 1

I am anticipating Nico and Percy's fight! I would love to see the expression of the professor's and the student's faces as they see Nico's true power! Thank you for writing this fanfic!

**Response: Hope this met your hopes and expectations. **

valery chapter 14 . Feb 23

If you update this,I'll be screaming with joy while hugging the closest hug-able thing I can find while jumping on the bed and say "Yes Yes YES!"!

(translation it would make my(and a lot of others) day if you update)

Val

**Response: Your bed might not appreciate that XD But I hope this update made you happy. **

Marshmallows chapter 14 . Feb 18

Hi LightningScar!I love all of your fanfictions,and keep up the AMAZING work you do!Say hi to Nico for me!

Personally,I find the cookie thing would you like a marshmallow?[][][][][][][][]

**Response: Thank you for the praise. Though, I'm not particular proud of three of the stories, I appreciate the kind words… and he marshmallows XD**

Guest chapter 14 . Feb 17

Amazing work.I love all the detail that you put in your story!I personally like NicoxHermione, and the way Nico excells at Transfiguration.(Did I spell that correctly?)I always spend hours trying to find a decent fanfiction,so when I saw this,I loved it right the way,I have a question if you don't mind me there be any more settings besides Hogwarts?Thank you!

Have a cookie.(::) (::) (::)Chocolate chip or Oatmeal raisin?

**Response: Thank you Transfiguration… yep, spelled correctly. I've seen too many fics where the PJO characters excels at all subjects or DADA, so I figured it was time for something new. Plus, it goes hand in hand with Nico's powers. Regarding your question: There will be other settings, but as two of the main characters are at Hogwarts, Hogwarts will be the most dominant setting. And chocolate for sure XD**

Guest chapter 14 . Feb 4

I really like your story, and I was planning if I could make a story slightly like this one if it was okay with you?

**Response: Go ahead. Though, I would like to see an acknowledgement or something like that if you publish it.**

NicoISkickbutt chapter 10 . Jan 14

Hey, I re-read this story...is Jason going to do anything with that bottle of Tiber water or is he going to dismiss it as a stupid Octavian idea? It's kind of funny, I can totally see where this would be going if I were writing it, but I'm not, so oh well. I can wait a month or two. But please don't make it more than two months like last time. Last time you ended on a cliffhanger, and dude, that's just not cool leaving us for more than two months on a cliffhanger.

I did do well on my tests, all except for one, but it didn't really count, so...thanks for wishing me well!

(I meant to post this on ch 14, but then I backed up too far when I accidentally clicked on a stupid ad and didn't realize it until I was half-way done with the review...whoops)

chapter 14 . Feb 2

I can't remember whether or not I already reviewed...if I did, whoo hoo, you get two reviews from me! But basically, I saw that it was the first of February, and you updated the seventh of last month, so I was like, 'hey, I'm going to go read it again to make sure that I know it'. It's still just as awesome!

Thanks for the reply, I did (sort of) well on my tests and I've finally fully recovered from my being half-dead from sickness. And one- to two-months IS a long time, thank you very much! You'd be amazed at how much can happen in one- to two-months! The South froze, for Pete's sake! The ice on my back porch just started to melt today and it hurts to write because I have a bruised and scraped hand from catching myself after I slipped on the ice! That happened in a week! Imagine what would happen in two months! *huffs*

(whoops, just kind of ranted at you, sorry...)

**Response: **

**Have read 'House of Hades', but as I've said a few times, events from 'HoO' will be ignored or included as seen fit. 'HoO' haven't taken place and is not likely to.**

**The bottle of Tiber water will come into play soon.**

**Glad to hear you did well on your tests, but I'm sorry to hear about your hand. **

**And yeah, I found how much can happen in two, let alone four months. **

Guest chapter 14 . Jan 28

Spoilers

Percy dies

Annabeth does the nasty with a giant and hagrid pops out

If you read that DONT make a fan fic out of it. I will burn Denmark to the ground.

-Leader of Norway

**Response: I do not know what is worse; that you will think I would ever write a story like that, or that you got those ideas/pictures in your head in the first place. I think you might need some help. For your family's sake, I suggest you go to the doctor and get him/her to refer you on to a psychologist.**

CookieMonster13 chapter 14 . Jan 19

In my last reveiw I accidentally asked if biance was dead or aluve when I meant hazel . Whoopsie daisy as my 4 year old cousin woukd say. :D anyways I love the part where draco was notched down a peg. I feel mean but he totally deserved that. Will they be friends jn the future? Loved the story and chaptrr to bits update soon!

CookieMonster13 chapter 14 . Jan 19

I am addicted to this story. It is just so awesome . Who will win? Nico or percy? Will the teachers watch?

I love how nicos like twisting both umbridge and dumbledores rules against them. overall I am in love with this story! If you update soon I will send you a batch of chocolate chip cookies, ok? So update! I love how your chapters are so long, it kinda makes up for the long wait.

Anywho, why didn't annabeth tell percy? And I'm not trying to flame or anything but why did percy just jump into the battle? Is annabeth evil in this or just mislead? Will annabeth die or just be injured for harming bianca? Is bianca alive or dead? If in the next chapter nico wins, will he really kill percy? And if percy wins, will he actually kill nico?

SPOILER! Have you read the house of hades? If not ignore this. If you did will you include anything about him having a crush on percy and moving on or something or is he just gonna stay straight? and is this set before the lost hero or after?

Sorry for so many questions but I'm a naturally inquisitive person. It doesn't help that you left us on a cliff hanger! I repeat, I absolutely adore this syory and I wish that you will update as fast as you can, bye! :D

**Response: Double reviewing. To answer some of your questions, random order.**

**I hope chapter 15 answered some of your questions regarding the fight. As to why Annabeth didn't tell Percy. I think you can find the answer to that in a previous chapter, but it and other hints/answers will be in next chapter. As for Percy jumping head first into the fight. Upset as he might be with her, I don't think he would sit by and let Annabeth get killed in fight way out of her league.**

**I've read the House of Hades, but as I've said a few times by now, this fic pretty much ignores or includes events and characters from the 'HoO' series as I see fit and with small twists. But HoO haven't taken place… at all… and is not likely to. **

**Heh, I doubt very much Nico and Draco are going to be friends. But I' glad you enjoy Nico twisting rules of the past and wording in their agreement to his advantage. **

Catalina chapter 14 . Jan 18

Wow. Just. Wow. This is incredible. Please update soon. I see why this took you so long. It really brings the term, "you can't rush perfection" to mind. This is awesome.

**Response: Thank. While I don't think the story is perfect, I appreciate your understanding and kind words **

Guest chapter 14 . Jan 15

It is interesting to guess at who will when. Percy has more experience, is near water (black lake) and will do any thing to protect Annabeth(sadly). Nico is stronger than Percy and has pure rage on his side so we don't know. Will Percy and Nico destroy the ground because that would be bad and chapter I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. ( I actually fell off my chair from shock after finishing the chapter).

**Response: Hope the fight was entertaining and not too predictable. And I hope it met your hopes. **

Guest chapter 14 . Jan 9

like, will you let the wizards know about demigod existence?

**Response: Maybe. **

Guest chapter 14 . Jan 8

in the first chapter you said it was possible for nico to suddenly start aging, so will this actually happen?

**Response: Not likely, but maybe. **

Guest chapter 14 . Jan 8

please let percy win! when the fight is over will there be more, like jason meeting voldemort ( voldemort isnt really mentioned much in the story and will you explain harrys dream?) will there be a three way duel between Percy nico and Jason. Great build up to the fight by the way!

Ur a great writer!

**Response: Voldemort will make an appearance in next chapter. Explain Harry's dream? Basically he was just dreaming about Voldemort meeting someone and plotting his death. As for a three-way-duel… who knows? And thank you.**

JR chapter 14 . Jan 8

This is too freaking INTENSE! Why Nico why, also Percy was kinda dumb with his words on Nico. But I'm really excited to see how this ends. Nico did a good job with Malfoy.

**Response: When has Percy ever been good with words? I hope this fight met your hopes and expectations. And thank **

Guest chapter 14 . Jan 8

don't make Nico a demon or evil or hurt Annabeth, it's not right plz he wouldn't do it.

**Response: Evil? No. Angry? Yes. And considering what she did, I think he would very much like to hurt and kill her. There would be hell for you to pay if you hurt my sister, that's for sure.**

Guest chapter 9 . May 17

Can you imagine Piper fighting like Ty lee from ATLA

**Response: No, not really.**

Tulsa360 chapter 1 . May 16

As it has been over 4 months since you last posted I was hoping that either you would say when you were planning on updating or if the story is discontinued. Now on to the real review! I have been reading this story since chapter 9 and while it is annoying to weight two months per chapter it is manigable, and to the people who constantly complain, a message: DON'T. As a writer (not Fan Fiction) I know just how annoying it is. I hope you (Lighting Scar) understand just how grateful we are for your detaction to this fandom in writing such a well done and in depth story.

**Response: Thank you for your understanding. I considered putting up a notice, but for some reason decided against it. Plus, I don't know how often people check my profile. Anyways, I've no plans of abandoning this story. I have way too much writing on it. Once more, thank you for your understanding.**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN1/2: Hello. Been quite some time since my last update… I'm not going to apologize for that. Since my last update, my life has been an emotional rollercoaster with some rather big ups and downs… most downs, I'm afraid. Last down happened around December. **

**I'm not going to give a summary either as you can find that in chapter 15. **

**Now, before you, hopefully, start reading, I would like you to look up and take a closer look at when this story was published. Please, remember that date. **

**Now, without further ado, please fasten your seatbelts; here is chapter 16 of 'Dark Phoenix'.**

Chapter 16: A Fire in the Dark

Darkness. Pain. Dizzy and feeling like he was going to be sick. These were the things telling Nico that he wasn't dead. As consciousness started returning to him, he also became more aware of the pain in his aching body. Gritting his teeth, the son of Hades blinked his eyes a few times, utter darkness giving way to a slightly lighter one. Realizing that it had to be night, or at least after sunset, the son of Hades turned his head slightly to get a better look at his surroundings, just to regret it a second later when the muscles in his neck protested vehemently at the notion of work. Groaning slightly, he took in his surroundings.

'The Hospital Wing… go figure.'

Still groggy, to say the least, the Ghost King tried getting all of his thoughts under control. All from how the fight had gone and what had happened to Percy and the others from Camp Half-Blood. But before he could ponder and get his thoughts completely under control, voices cut through his foggy mind, giving him something to focus on as he closed his eyes again.

"How is he, Poppy?"

Nico barely recognized the voice as Dumbledore's before the school nurse answered. "As well as one can expect him to be, after forcing a spell while being low on Mana, but considering the nature and the scale of his last spell, I'm surprised he got off as easy as he did."

Another voice spoke up. "Madam Pomfrey, what is Mana… and what can happen if you try forcing a spell while being low on it?"

Nico recognized the questioning voice as Hermione's, but it wasn't Madam Pomfrey who answered. Instead, his mind slowly clearing, Nico recognized the voice of the Head of Gryffindor.

"A number of things can happen if you try to force a spell while you are low on Mana, the energy that allows us to perform any kind of spell. Sometimes, nothing will happen or the spell won't work as intended. But forcing a spell while being low on Mana can also cause you severe Mana Exhaustion or injuries. In the worst cases… you die." There was a potent silence, before McGonagall spoke again. "I still can't believe you did what you did, Poppy."

There was a loud snort from the nurse. "Me neither. But considering the alternative, and the Healers from Mungo's agree with me, it was the better solution. Who would have thought that Gilderoy Lockhart actually could be of any help in a situation like this."

Nico had no idea who Gilderoy Lockhart was, but if the disdain in the school nurse's voice was anything to go by, he wasn't kept in very high esteem. But before he could ponder it further, a male's voice spoke up. "Bad enough to use Lockhart's method? Don't you feel honoured Harry? You've set an example for treating broken bones... uff! Hey, what was that for!?"

The son of Hades suppressed a snort and a chuckle. From the sounds of it, Harry had shoved Ron from his chair for the comment, but Madam Pomfrey's voice held only a bit of humour. "How I wish it was just a broken bone; I would never have resorted to that method if I didn't deem it necessary." A potent silence, then a tired sigh. "Aside from severe Mana Exhaustion and the bruises, all the bones in his left arm were shattered to the point that a normal healing spell wouldn't have been able to fix them. Four breaks on the right humerus, two on the ulna, one fracture on the radius, and five broken ribs; all because of him conjuring up that amount of Shadow Lighting to counter a tsunami... by all accounts he should be dead, not just in a bed, covered by bandages from head to toe."

"Shadow Lightning?" The Ghost King didn't need to open his to see Ron Weasley's confused face. "But I thought lightning is more white and blue, like that girl used."

Nico heard the Transfiguration teacher sigh. "Shadow Lightning, Mr Weasley, isn't actual lightning. It has many names: Shadow Lightning, Black Lightning, Nocturnal Lightning, Hell Lightning… its name vary depending on who, where and when you ask. But no matter the name, it's conjured the same way." Another sigh. "Umbrakinesis, the ability to control shadows and darkness, is a branch of Transfiguration. But most who used it in the past either honed their skills over years or was, like Nico most likely is, born with an affinity for it."

There was a pause, and Nico had to strain his ears to hear what she said next. "As I said, Shadow Lightning is not actual lightning. It's created by merging shadows and Black Fire. While not an expert, my guess is that the user will encase the Black Fire within the shadows and darkness, allowing the caster to direct the dark flames towards the intended target. Then darkness and shadows will weaken or cut through the target's defences, and the Black Fire will do the rest. The 'lightning' is created by the enormous amount of energy caused by the fraction when merging the Black Fire and the shadows, giving the new spell, or rather attack, lightning shape and properties."

Nico felt his eyes widen against his will, and before he could stop himself, he spoke out loud, his voice groggy as he complimented the Head of Gryffindor. "An impressive analysis, Professor McGonagall, given you have only seen my technique once."

Eyes blurry and head heavy, the son of Hades felt something being pressed against his lips, but before he could protest, a burning sensation ran down his throat. The good part: His head instantly cleared. The bad part: As usual, the medical potion tasted absolutely horrible and made him cough and splutter, causing his poor body to scream in protest at the movement. His coughing subsiding, he leaned back against the pillows now supporting his back, dark eyes observing the people surrounding him.

On his right were Harry, Ron and Hermione, the latter leaning forward, giving his hand a tender squeeze, sending another wave of pain through his battered body. Suppressing the wince threatening to escape his lips, the son of Hades took in the faces of Harry and Ron, and was baffled to see them giving him a tentative smile. Ignoring his protesting neck, he glanced to his left, dark eyes taking in the forms of Professors McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore. Eyes settling on McGonagall, he spoke with a voice hoarse from disuse and the aftertaste of the potion.

"You certainly know a lot about Shadow Lightning… much more than can be gained by reading about it."

The Transfiguration teacher's lips thinned into a hard line. "I took my Mastery in Transfiguration over thirty years ago, Mr di Angelo. Umbrakinesis, while banned, is an extremely advanced, and dark, branch of Transfiguration. One of my projects back then was writing an in depth analysis on Umbrakinesis, its uses and users throughout history… but I have never heard of a boy of fifteen, even one with a born affinity for Umbrakinesis and a gifted genius, being able to produce the amount of Shadow Lighting that you did… I think it's time you did some explaining, Mr di Angelo."

Allowing Madam Pomfrey to hold a glass of water to his lips, he took grateful sip of the cold drink, instantly feeling it soothe his sore throat. Giving a weak nod, he spoke. "I will… but first, I would very much like to know what happened."

The Potions master cut across Harry as the latter opened his mouth, a cold sneer on the man's face. "You are hardly in any position to make requests, di Angelo. As it is, you're lucky you're waking up here and not in a cell in Azkaban."

Dumbledore sighed, drawing the attention of the other occupants. "Peace, Severus. We will talk about that in a moment." His clear blue eyes met Nico's dark ones, the usual twinkle gone, but his face gave nothing away to what he was thinking. "After your fight ended, there was a brief standoff between the students of Hogwarts and the friends of your opponent. I must say, I have not seen students from all four Houses stand together against someone for nearly two decades."

Nico stared, but before he could say anything, Ron let out a little squeak and spluttered. "All… all four? As in even some from Slytherin?"

"Yes Mr. Weasley," the aged headmaster chuckled, causing the redhead to blush. "All four Houses. Not every student, mind you, but I did see a few First and Second Year Slytherins among the rest of you, pointing wands at Leo and his friends." His eyes landed on Nico again. "Causing a union across the four Houses… that's some feat."

Nico stared. He couldn't believe that, after everything they had seen him do, students from all houses had stood up for him against the team from Camp Half-Blood. Admittedly, as memories came flooding back to him, Percy had been knocked out, but Leo Valdez was not exactly a pushover. Though, he had to wonder…

"I can't help but wonder, Headmaster, if the students would stand together to defend me or themselves against another enemy. After all, I've built up somewhat of a reputation as a Dark Wizard since my arrival… and considering my choice of weapons, I don't exactly look like a guy worth defending..." He suddenly frowned. He remembered losing his weapons before their final clash, but he didn't remember seeing them afterwards. "Where are my weapons?"

Dumbledore cocked his head to the side slightly, glancing first at the other three teenagers, taking note of their aghast faces, before speaking with a gentle voice. "Or it could be that they stood together for you because they feel you have suffered enough? You are too young to be so cynical and having so little faith in those around you, Nico."

"And you are too old to believe so firmly in the good of others, Headmaster." Nico ignored the shocked looks of the others around him, focusing on the aged wizard. "Where are my weapons?"

Albus put his fingertips together, gazing at Nico with neutral eyes. "Your weapons are in my custody, Nico, placed under wards of my own design. This way, hopefully, they pose no danger to my staff and students, and, hopefully, no one will be tempted to steal or tamper with them. Though, I have to admit, I have no idea how you managed to re-forge your broken sword into a scythe and a smaller sword." Blue eyes met dark ones again, but it only took the aged wizard a tentative prod to realize that the hospitalized boy had all of his mental defences in place. The headmaster let out a small, tired sigh. "I don't think it should be necessary for me to say this, but I cannot allow you to carry such weapons here at Hogwarts."

Nico closed his eyes, already feeling a new headache forming. "I understand. Though, I'm surprised you are even letting me stay here at all. After all, it seems my presence here keep bringing your students in danger."

Dumbledore gazed intently at the son of Hades, blue eyes sharp. And when he spoke, his words were carefully chosen. "Hogwarts and her inhabitants have faced many dangers through the ages, Nico; she still stands. A few powerful Elementalists won't bring her down. And since the end of the Family Wars and the Founding, Hogwarts has made it her trademark that help shall always be given to those who ask for it."

The Ghost King raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He hadn't exactly asked for Hogwarts to help him. So the fact that Dumbledore hadn't revoked his hospitality just reminded and confirmed Nico's suspicions that Dumbledore had reasons of his own for keeping Nico at Hogwarts. The son of Hades had not forgotten about certain deals they had made in past few months, and he briefly wondered how many deals Dumbledore would be willing to make in order to keep him at Hogwarts. Almost as if he had felt him lowering his mental defences, the headmaster spoke again.

"You are probably wondering why I continue to offer the hospitality and protection of Hogwarts? Well, I will not lie: Many a parent and the Ministry would like to see you removed from Hogwarts. But, despite certain, ah, opinions of you, I'm of the belief that removing you from Hogwarts and, as some would like, putting you together with our country's most notorious criminals, would do absolutely more harm than good." Blue eyes bore into black, helping convey his words. "I once knew a boy much like you. But unlike you, he didn't strive for acceptance… or friends. You have done some things to my students that will not be tolerated should you do them again, but you have never purposefully endangered the students here at Hogwarts. Therefore, I will continue to offer you the hospitality of Hogwarts."

Blue eyes bore into dark ones, and the usual warmth usually in the old man's voice was nowhere to be found. "However, I will say this now. If your cousins ever come to Hogwarts again, and it comes to a fight between you, I will intervene."

It happened so fast, but in that fraction of a second, Nico felt his eyes widen in surprise. The moment the old wizard stopped speaking, he raised his energy level... or maybe he lowered whatever sort of cloak he used to hide his true powers from those with sensory skills. Whatever he did, the son of Hades felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He already knew that Dumbledore wasn't nearly as fragile and weak as he pretended to be, but now he was starting to realize just how powerful Dumbledore really was. And if he was not mistaken, the old man had only showed him a fraction of his true strength, seeing how the other occupants didn't even seemed phased by the Headmaster's little display. Something stirred within the Ghost King and he felt a single bead of sweat run down his cheek, hidden to the others by the bandage. He felt nervous… and a bit excited… at the prospect of facing the Headmaster in battle. Before he could comment, however, Ron spoke up.

"Professor Dumbledore, not to doubt you or anything… But would it be smart to face off against Nico and his cousins? I mean, what they did… I have never seen or heard of anything like it, and you only defended against one of their attacks at the end, when they went from fast to big attacks."

Nico almost laughed at the redhead… especially when Ron tried making himself as small as possible when Snape, McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, Harry and Hermione all turned to him, shooting him incredulous looks. Dumbledore, however, chuckled good-naturedly. "Ah Mr Weasley, the display Nico and his cousin put on, was quite impressive. But I believe I would be able to keep up, if necessary. But seeing how you weren't in immediate danger after the main fighting, I saw no reason to get more involved until things got a bit tense between, Leo, I think his name was, and Professor Umbridge. I deemed it more necessary to bring some comfort to the younger students and bolster their morale. Also, I was trying to divert the attention, as I did not want the students, especially the younger ones, to bear witness to a violent death." Here, his gaze turned once more to the son of Hades. "Only you can tell, me Nico: Were you really going to kill your friend and cousin… in front of innocent eyes?"

Nico stared back at Dumbledore, pondering his answer. Then, he sighed. "The fight was partially about wanting to kill and protect Chase. But to me, it was just as much a test of power."

Ron gaped at him, not believing his ears. "But… but during that talk you had with that guy… you threatened you would kill his girlfriend and all those had attacked your sister."

Nico gave a nod, wincing at the movement. "So?"

Ron's mouth dropped, sharing tentative glance with the others Gryffindors, before glancing at the teachers, but none made any move to stop him. "But then I don't understand… why didn't you just use Umbraportation to appear before her and fight her instead of Percy?"

Nico stared for a moment, before laughing loudly. But it was far from happy. His laughter lasted for about twenty seconds, but once he was done, he let out a sigh "Two reasons, Ron: The first is Leo. He might not be as strong as Percy and I, but he is no pushover. As a matter of fact, after Percy and me, he is probably Camp's most powerful fighter."

Ron gulped, almost afraid of the answer he was about to get. "And the second?"

A murderous look flashed across Nico's face, but then he let out a disgusted snort. "Would the Headmaster fight you seriously, Ron?" He didn't give him time to answer, but the scared glance Ron shot Dumbledore didn't go unnoticed. "Chase's level of power and skill is as far below mine as the deepest part of Hell is below the sky. Any 'battle' between us would be rather one-sided."

He was silent for a few seconds, closing his eyes to bring his emotions back under control before meeting the stares head-on. "To answer your question, Headmaster: I could have killed Percy several times, if I had wanted to. But I wanted to see if I could take his full power, which he would only use in a fight to the death with his most precious person's life being at stake. But now I know I'm stronger, so…"

He was abruptly cut off by Ron. "But it was a tie!" He shrunk in when all the others turned to him, growing sheepish at the disapproving glare the nurse and his Head of House sent his way for shouting in the Hospital Wing. Lowering his voice, he tried his best at meeting Nico's demanding stare head-on. "I mean, you tied with him, didn't you? I mean, Percy took a step before fainting, but you couldn't take a step, but you was conscious for a few seconds longer… isn't that a tie?"

Nico stared long and hard into Ron's eyes, making the redhead squirm in his seat. But before he could speak or think too much on the truth of Ron's words, another voice cut in.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley, for another pointless question." All eyes turned to Snape, Ron's ears going red, McGonagall, Harry and Hermione glaring at the Head of Slytherin House, Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey giving him a disapproving look. But none of it seemed to face the Potions Master as he continued, his voice calm.

"Headmaster, if I may. Di Angelo speaks of killing someone in cold blood. He shows no remorse about endangering the students of Hogwarts, or using the most extremes of the Dark Arts. He keeps secrets about who he is and his school." Black eyes met black. "Twice, if not thrice, his cousins and people from his school have tracked him here. Every time, a battle has ensued, bringing our students in danger. Or, like it happened in the forest, into direct combat. Headmaster, I cannot see how we can keep offering him the hospitality of Hogwarts, when it would appear his mere presence here seems to continue endangering our students."

Maybe it was because he was tired and sore. Maybe it was because he had felt the prod of the Potions Master trying to get through his mental defences. Maybe it was because he had a feeling that his chances of finding friends and a home here at Hogwarts had just decreased dramatically. Maybe it was because his girlfriend was looking at him with such a mix of emotions that he couldn't tell if what he saw was fear, disgust, happiness, sadness or something else. Whatever the reason, Nico's infamous temper started rearing its head, baring its fangs at the Slytherin Head.

"Why are you even here, Professor Snape? You are not the Headmaster, nor a nurse or a doctor. Nor are you my Head of House and you most definitely aren't a friend of mine… so why are you here?"

Snape just quirked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Instead, Dumbledore sighed, as if knowing a heavy headache he was going to have to deal with was starting to form. "Everyone, please, let's calm down."

Nico took a calming breath, but even that hurt. Exchanging another dark look with the Potions Professor, the son of Hades turned to the headmaster again. "My apologies, Professor Dumbledore. But I simply won't just take the blame for the students being endangered." He sighed. "I'm sorry that my fight with Percy put your students in danger… but the blame is just as much yours as it's mine, and a little bit the students' own." The son of Hades ignored the others as he stared into the old headmaster's calm blue eyes. "Percy and I kept back our initial attacks so that the students had time to flee the scene, but it was only when Leo gave them a little shock they decided to scram… and instead of going inside the castle for safety, they decided to stay near the battlefield, even as the battle escalated with monsters and a small tsunami."

Here, he frowned at the other teens. He was touched that they would stay for his sake, but after his battle with the Hunters, he thought he had made it perfectly clear that when he fought, they would only be in the way… even if they were just spectators. His frown deepened when he noticed how fear seemed to flash in the eyes of his friends and girlfriend, bringing a twinge to his gut. Usually, when people looked at him with fear, they soon went to look at him with disgust and scorn. Was that how it was going to go this time as well? Would his girlfriend and friends abandon him now that they had seen the darkest parts of his personality and powers?

But then, as he thought about it, he started to wonder what makes a friend. Nico's path was a dark and lonely one. The path he had walked was littered with corpses of all kinds, both figuratively and literally, the darkness hiding them from everyone but him. But the darkness covering his future was even darker, obscuring all the obstacles, pain and death to come in his way. The darkness lying before him was so thick that even he couldn't see through it. Would a friend try to bring him away from that path… or stand by him, through pain, hatred and death? That was his path… his life. And as the son of Hades observed the so-called Golden Trio, briefly wondering who the heck came up with that nickname, he wondered how steadfast they would in their friendship be if they ever discovered the truth about him. The things he had done in the past, his parentage and what he planned to do in the future… if they believed him, that is.

He blinked, feeling his head starting to get fuzzy. Taking in the faces of the Hogwarts inhabitants, he fought off the drowsiness starting to creep up on him. Squaring his jaw, and locking away his thoughts, he looked to the headmaster, eyes narrowing.

"I know where some of students were, Headmaster. The question is… where were you and the other teachers?"

"You have some nerve, di Angelo, to…"

Dumbledore held up hand, eyes never leaving Nico. "Peace, Severus. The painkillers are starting to get the better of him." He put his fingertips together, looking at Nico as the teenager fought to stay lucid enough for further conversation.

"You asked where we were, Nico. We're securing the students still inside the castle. We had to search every classroom and closet, the greenhouses, the boathouse and every room inside and get them back to their appropriate common rooms as we secured the castle." He let out a sigh. "It has been fourteen years since Hogwarts last had to protect her students against enemies outside her walls, and thus, we haven't run the drills designed for students to follow in case of an attack. A mistake I will take full responsibility for and correct immediately."

The aged man sighed again. "You're right Nico, we, and especially I, are partly to blame for the risk the students of Hogwarts faced almost two weeks ago. If I had acted accordingly after the battle in the forest, at the very latest, this last battle might not have occurred… or at least, not on Hogwarts' grounds where it put the students of Hogwarts at risk."

Nico raised an eyebrow, too tired to be surprised at the news of how long he had unconscious. Being out cold was nothing new to him, especially after using the amount of energy he had used in that fight. And from the feel of it, he was going to be out of commission for quite some time. Fighting down the increasingly insistent drowsiness trying to drag him back to sweet unconsciousness, he met the headmaster's piercing blue eyes.

"And what kind of precautions do you think would have kept my cousins from the grounds?"

"Siege wards, the same that protected the castle during the last war, with some of my own added." He looked over his half-moon spectacles, his expression not giving away his thoughts. "As mentioned earlier, a lot of parents are crying out for your arrest and for you to be shipped off to Azkaban. The Ministry has been in correspondence with all magic schools in the States and their Ministry, digging for clues about who you are. As you can probably guess, they came up empty handed. The only notion of a family named Di Angelo, was back in the beginning of World War II. A woman named Maria di Angelo, and her two children, stayed at a hotel in Washington D.C and was presumed dead when an explosion levelled most of the hotel."

The aged headmaster noticed something flash across the boy's face, but before he could interpret it, the neutral mask he had come to expect from the teenager slipped back into place, effectively hiding his emotions and thoughts. Eyes boring into one another, Albus' tone grew slightly firmer.

"The Ministry has, in an effort to ensure the safety of the students, stationed several Aurors at Hogwarts with orders to arrest you, should you try to flee before the trial."

Nico cocked an eyebrow. "Trial?"

Snape snorted. "You didn't think that little display of yours and your cousin would go unnoticed by the population outside of Hogwarts, did you? A lot of students wrote or called their parents, telling them about it before we could even make an attempt at damage control. The parents in turn alerted the Ministry, who in turn deployed several Aurors to arrest you. It was only because of the interference of the Headmaster and Madam Pomfrey that you got off, temporarily at least, with having Suppressing Seals placed upon you."

The son of Hades frowned at the terms. He knew that the Aurors were Dark Wizard catchers, much like police officers, and while he had an idea of what Suppressing Seals were, he really hoped he was wrong. Mustering up what little energy he could, he tried channelling it to his fingertips, something he instantly regretted. Pain flared through his entire body, causing it to spasm and him to gasp out loud. Granted, his body was far from in top condition after the fight, but even so, he was not prepared for the intensity of the pain coursing through him. The pain, and thus the spasms subsiding, he ground his teeth and hissed out.

"What in the name of… " Taking a few deep breaths, he turned to the headmaster once more, ignoring the small sneer on Snape's face. "What the hell is this? I can't channel any sort of energy."

Dumbledore sighed, but Nico thought he could hear disapproval in the old man's voice. "The Suppression Seals are usually only placed on the most dangerous criminals in Azkaban. There are few methods to break them, but before you try, you should know that they all carry a great deal of risk. People have been known to break them by flooding them with more energy than the seals can withstand, putting their lives on the line. The other option is to find a Seal Master to break them. But in most cases, the seals stay there for the rest of your life."

Nico nodded tiredly. He had heard the children of Hecate and Trivia talking about something like that at the camps, and he knew it was serious stuff as even they were more than hesitant to fiddle with them, no matter if it was to break them or apply them on someone. Fighting down the headache he could feel starting to form, he asked with a decent level of sarcasm.

"I assume you are Seal Master, but that the Ministry would know if you removed them, effectively tying your hands?" The eldest Professor gave a small nod. "Great. And my guess is that the Ministry placed these seals to prevent me from escaping, despite me not being able to move and the Aurors guarding the school, and that they will stay on me after the trial, unless I can somehow either escape before then, break them myself, or, against all odds, get cleared of all charges?"

Another nod. Nico closed his eyes, but had to open them again lest he fall asleep. Letting out a resigned sigh, he asked the obvious question. "What are the charges? And what will I be up against?"

Albus tilted his head, wondering what the bedridden teen was thinking. "The chargers are excessive usage of Necromancy, Umbrakinesis, wanton violence and endangering innocent lives, death threats and possession of illegal weapons capable of performing dark magic. Your cousin, if caught, will face similar charges, and Leo will stand trial for threatening an official employee."

The Headmaster studied Nico, seeing the boy's vision starting to swim. "The Ministry finished collecting testimonies yesterday, Nico. Your trial will be held before the entire Wizengamot, with open doors for the public, and it will be covered by the Daily Prophet, three days before we resume school."

Nico snorted. "A publicity stunt then, eh? Meaning, that I will hardly get a fair trial, as I most likely won't be able to testify in my defence."

Dumbledore leaned forward, barely registering the shocked faces of the other three Gryffindor students. "We can help you, Nico, but you need to be honest with us. They are not just using this to send a message to your cousins, it's also to gain as much as information they can about you, your cousins and these schools you call camps."

Nico shook his head slightly, clearing his mind somewhat. "In other words, they, like you, want answers to how my cousins and I got our powers, where to find our places of learning. This trial is just an excuse to try and force the answers from me. You want answers as well; you just have a different approach, hoping to coax the information from me, under pretence that you might be able to strengthen my defence. Am I wrong?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I will not lie. I had hoped you would tell me, as you seem to be a magnet for unusual phenomes. As mentioned earlier, you have powers and abilities beyond the scope of you simply being a gifted genius. All records show that the families with control over the Elements in their rawest forms are long gone, yet we have seen teenagers controlling lightning, fire and water to a degree that usually would take many years of study to achieve. Not to mention, your extreme prowess when it comes to Umbrakinesis and Necromancy and other abilities." His voice turned stern. "Nico, if I'm to help you, I need to know exactly what I'm dealing with. Especially if we are to get you cleared of all charges and I'm to continue to let you stay at Hogwarts. If I'm to trust you, you need to be honest with me. Nothing can exist if it's based on a lie and half-truths."

Nico narrowed his eyes, the drowsiness getting harder and harder to fight off. "And yet, Headmaster, your world, like mine, survives because of half-lies and deceptions. After all, your world stays hidden from the Muggles through illusions and other half-truths. Rather hypocritical, don't you think, that people, for whatever reasons, demands others to be honest with them when their very own existence is built on a foundation of lies."

Taking a few deep breaths, Nico spoke more calmly, taking in the slight narrowing of Snape's eyes, the shocked facial expressions of the women and Harry and Ron, and Dumbledore's neutral one.

"My world exists like yours, Headmaster, because we are hiding beyond a veil of half-truths and deceptions. Our schools, called camps, are kept secret from the rest of the wizard society because they are schools for people with special bloodlines, like mine, who possess all sorts of powerful magic. Those camps are the only place where we, or rather, they, can find a refuge and place to learn to control their powers. Some, like Chase, possess no extraordinary power and can blend in just fine. Others, like Leo, Percy and I have powers so powerful and dangerous that we stand out, even by the standards of our families." He fell silent for a few seconds, eyes closing as he continued. "Most people fear our power, leading to smear campaigns and lynches. Others have sought to exploit our powers for their own gain… even people from our own families. As a result, it was decided long ago that we're to hide from the world altogether until we can go unnoticed by the public and the Ministry of Magic."

Dumbledore frowned, then nodded tiredly. He could see now that this was all Nico would be willing to divulge… but he suspected that Nico wasn't telling him all the reasons. Plus, as it was, he could see Nico fighting a losing battle to stay conscious. Sighing, he stood.

"I see. Then I'm afraid that there is very little I can do to help. Miss Granger, I believe you had something you wanted to give Mr di Angelo?"

Nico's eyes opened, turning his head to Hermione. His girlfriend was hesitant at first, but then, ever so slowly put her hand inside her cloak. When she withdrew it, Nico's eyes instantly zoomed in on the object in her hand. It was a golden drachma. For a moment, Nico was silent. Then… "Where did you get that?"

Hermione swallowed, taking in the form of her boyfriend, wrapped up in bandages, barely leaving his eyes and mouth free. His tone wasn't accusing or curious, just… resigned. After receiving two nods of encouragement from her two friends, she spoke softly. "The guy controlling that metal dragon… he tossed it to us… saying that you once entrusted him with your life and that it now was time for him to return the favour. He said… he said that you we should ask you to call your father… and… and that you still know right from wrong." Tears welled up in her eyes "Please… Nico…"

The son of Hades looked at her, but didn't say anything as he held out his hand for the coin, trying his best to keep down every groan that threatened to escape his lips at the effort it took, but he couldn't help the groan escaping when his arm fell down to the mattress after receiving the coin. His mind was such a mess now that he couldn't tell what thought belonged where. Closing his eyes, he was vaguely aware of the nurse speaking up.

"He needs to rest. I'm sorry, but I must insist you all leave now."

Nico opened his eyes, just in time to see Harry lead Hermione out the door as Dumbledore closed them. "So… Madam Pomfrey… what is the verdict? How long will I be your prisoner this time around?"

The nurse frowned, but he thought he saw the corners of her lips twist upwards. "At least you haven't lost your sense of humour."

Nico blinked, head growing blearier by the second, thanks to the painkillers. "But… I wasn't joking. I need to… to train… Ron… was right… I need… to train."

Poppy gave a disapproving frown. "What you need to do, is give your body all the rest it can get. Your body took quite a beating… it will be a month, at least, before you can walk normally again, much less train… though, I'm not sure whether or not I want to know what you train and how."

If the Ghost King had had the energy, he would have sat up and protested rather vehemently. As it was, the words of the nurse cut through the fog clouding his mind, and his eyes flew open as he stared at her with incredulity painted all over his face. "A month before I can walk… you're not serious."

Madam Pomfrey sighed as she set to make him more comfortable. She might disapprove of what he had done during that fight, his reason to fight it, but as a Healer, her duty was to tend to the wounded, no matter personal feelings. Besides, despite everything, she had come to care for the boy. Pushing the thoughts aside, she continued with her task. Once she was done, she straightened, crossing her arms. "I'm quite serious, Mr di Angelo. You are under no circumstances to leave this bed before I say so. If I had it my way, you wouldn't be leaving your bed rest for two months, but some Healers agreed with the Minister that you should be able to leave sooner… don't put their 'theory' to the test. "

Nico stared… and stared some more. He could not stay I bed for that long! He needed to train. If his mind wasn't so fogged over from painkillers and exhaustion, he would have approached the situation more rationally, but as it was, he was unable to think rationally. "But what if I have to go the bathroom or take a shower? I have to leave the bed then."

The school nurse raised an unimpressed eyebrow, before pointing. Following her finger, Nico felt blood leave his face as he saw what she was pointing at. "You've got to be kidding me…"

The matron raised her other eyebrow, picking up one of the bedpans. "I'm not. I'm being completely serious."

Nico spluttered, ignoring his body's desperate pleas for him to lie still. "But… but… I can barely move, so how will I…"

The nurse gave a small comforting and gentle smile, placing the bedpan on the side of his bed. "Don't worry about it. Until you can move, I will help."

Before, Nico paled. Now, he felt blood rushing back to his face, feeling embarrassment burn. "You… you will… help me… but… no… I refuse!"

Madam Pomfrey sighed, rolling her eyes. "For goodness sake, Mr di Angelo. You aren't the first bedridden teenage boy I have helped taking a shower, nor will you be the last." She leaned in, a small mischievous glint in her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't tell Miss Granger about what I might see." Nico doubted his face would have burned more if he had taken one of Leo's fireballs to the face. But before he could fight down the embarrassment he was feeling and come up with a comeback, the matron straightened back up, giving him a stern glare.

"Jokes aside, Mr di Angelo: You are not leaving this bed, and that is final. Now, you need some rest. I will check on you in an hour, and if you have not fallen asleep by then, I might take desperate measures to ensure you get some sleep."

With that, she walked away, leaving behind a speechless son of Hades staring after her with his mouth hanging open. Then, he closed his mouth and eyes, letting out a defeated sigh. He could outsmart the children of Athena, beat the children of Ares and Mars in a duel, thwart Octavian at every turn, fight his cousins Percy and Jason… but the school nurse of Hogwarts was just in a league of her own.

Nico groaned with resignation. He needed to get stronger for his coming battles with the Camps, Jason, Percy, and his trial, but he had a feeling that his current fight would be the hardest of them all: Escaping the Hospital Wing as soon as his body allowed, and then convince the nursing instincts of Madam Pomfrey that he was well enough to be left out. He let out another low groan.

'Yep… definitely the hardest fight of them all.'

With that, he allowed sweet unconsciousness to drag him under and he fell asleep

00000

When Percy came around, he became painfully aware of two things: First, his entire body was hurting. Second, he was lying down on a bed. Letting out a slow breath, he gasped out in pain. Almost instantly, he felt hands adjusting him and his pillows, bringing him up into a sitting position, lots of pillows in his back. Slowly opening his eyes, his poor groggy mind took longer than usual to process his surroundings.

On his right was Annabeth, looking at him with red puffy eyes, worry clear on her face. On his left was Grover, fidgeting nervously with his flute. In the corner behind Grover, leaning against the wooden wall with his arms crossed, stood Leo and when the son of Hephaestus felt Percy's gaze on him, he gave a nod and a smile, but it was near nowhere as big as Percy was used to. And while he could see the relief in the fire wielding Latino elf, his smile seemed forced and he looked rather tense, almost like he was about to explode, both figuratively and literally. Deciding to focus on what was bothering Leo later, he looked around the room they were in, even as his neck was screaming in protest.

It was a small room, with Percy occupying the only bed, a small window just above his head. Candles and deer heads lined the walls, and a stag pelt on his right and two bigger pelts decorated the wooden floor. On his left was a small nightstand in wood with decorations carved into the wood, oak, like the bed and chairs if Percy wasn't mistaken. Across from him was a simple door, leading out to what the son of Poseidon guessed to be the living room with, what Percy assumed it to be, a big fireplace if the illumination, smell, sound and warmth was anything to go by. Glancing around, Percy tried speaking, but his mouth was horribly dry. Fortunately, Annabeth picked up on his discomfort and gently pushed a glass of water to his cracked lips, allowing him to drink.

His throat soothed, the son of Poseidon asked the first thing that came to mind. "Where are we?"

Annabeth helped him take another sip, hands trembling slightly. "We are in a small hunting cabin, ten kilometres south of Loch Ness."

Percy tried nodding, but his neck made its protest heard with interest and he settled for giving a small, tired smile. "I see." Then he frowned. "Where is Tyson?"

This time, it was Leo who answered, and once more, Percy thought he saw anger flashing in the eyes of the prankster. "I took the liberty of sending him back to Camp with Festus." At Percy's inquiring look, he continued. "You have been unconsciousness for more than a week Percy. Two days ago, we got news that the Romans were moving closer to Camp. I decided to send back Tyson and Festus back to Camp… Festus should be able to discourage the Romans a bit."

Once more, Percy tried nodding, but again, his neck didn't agree with that notion of work. Grimacing, he asked the question he knew he had to ask, but dreaded more than anything. "What happened?"

Leo snorted. "Long story short: You and Nico fought, endangering dozens if not hundreds of innocent bystanders as you used your most powerful tricks. After you fainted, the students stood up for Nico, threatening us with a fight if we tried to take him with us. After a brief talk with the Headmaster and a woman dressed like a pig, we came to the agreement that it was best for all involved if we were allowed to leave without a fight. Before we left, though, one of the students, a girl, gave this to me."

He tossed something to Percy who moved to catch it, but the mere motion brought up a burning pain through his arms. As it was, the item landed in his lap, and this time, Percy felt pain flare up in his heart. He didn't even need the son of Hephaestus to tell him what it was.

"That is Nico's necklace… or what remains of it at least. Apparently, the girl saw him toss it into the fire. She managed to solve the beads and she was the one who put them on a new cord." Leo's eyes and voice got a steely quality to them that Percy had never seen or heard from the Councillor of Cabin Nine. "Annabeth… you owe us an explanation. And it has better be really, really good."

Grover bit his lips nervously. "Can't it wait?"

Something seemed to flash in Leo's eyes. "No, it can't. I gave Nico that drachma because I believe he will do the right thing. But now I no longer know if I, or any of us, ever knew him at all. But I know that he won't let this slide. Even if he calls his dad and tells him to call off his attack, do you think Nico will just let bygones be bygones? No, Nico will be coming for you, Annabeth, and whoever else who attacked him and, apparently, his sister too. If I'm going to get my butt kicked and face ploughed through the dirt for defending any of you, I want to know why." He glared at Annabeth. "So… let's hear it."

Annabeth bit her lips, her hands starting to shake. She didn't really want to tell them; not like this. She had wanted to tell Percy about all of this for a long time, but she hadn't dared because of the warning about the spy. Now, it was something else stopping her: Percy's pleading eyes. She could see it. He was begging her to tell them that Nico was wrong… that she had nothing to do with the attack on his sister. That was why she feared telling him, for she knew the truth would hurt him even more than his battle against the son of Hades. Venturing a quick glance at Leo, she saw unyielding fire burning in his brown eyes; he wanted answers, and he wanted them now. She looked at the satyr who had brought her to Camp Half-Blood so long ago. Grover looked so distraught; like he couldn't decide whether to bolt from the room with tension so thick that no knife would have been able to cut through it, or stay and hear her out.

But just as she was about to speak, two hoarse words cut through the fog of the despair starting to settle around her heart and mind. "Annabeth… please."

Heartbeat quickening, she looked at Percy. Steeling her resolve and trying to calm her breathing and heartbeat, she began her tale.

"In the beginning of August, Hera came to me with a mission."

The reaction came instantly. From Percy, a shocked outcry, as loud as he could manage: "What?! Hera?!"

From Grover, a nervous stutter. "Th-the Queen of the Gods? W-With a mis-mission? For… for you?"

Leo, on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was well-known at Camp that there was bad blood between Annabeth and Hera, making it even stranger that Hera would seek out Annabeth with a mission. Then again, the gods worked in strange ways, so… "Go on."

Annabeth took another steadying breath, almost laughingly bitterly to herself. How did things go so wrong? Running a hand through her hair, biting her lower lip nervously, she tried again. "Hera came to me with a mission... and a warning."

Taking another deep breath, she exhaled slowly before continuing. "My mission was supposed to help bringing the Seven of the next Great Prophecy together. It was to be kept secret from all of you… even Chiron and you Percy… as Hera feared the enemy had a spy among the top of our councillors… just… just like Luke had Silena Beauregard. She warned me that if the matter was brought to Chiron and the Councillors, the spy would realize we were on to him… and in return, he would do everything in his power to keep the seven apart as he had done so far."

Leo tilted his head, his frown deepening. He had, of course, heard the supposed next Great Prophecy as, per the agreement among them, it had become mandatory for the Cabin Councillors to inform their new brothers and sisters about it. Still…

"I'm no child of Athena, but it doesn't take too much brainpower to figure out that the 'spy' Hera talked about was Nico... at least, it isn't now, after our last meeting with him. What I don't see, however, is how, exactly, your mission was supposed to help bring the Seven together?"

Annabeth sighed, rubbing her eyes. "As we know now, Roman demigods exist; children of another form of the gods. My mission was to sneak in and convince their leaders to come to Camp. Hera said that they would be able to point out the spy in our camp, because he was also spying on them. We had to sneak in as Hera warned us that the others… the Romans, wasn't very hospitable… and that their augur… which is like a priest or something… would make making peace between us almost impossible."

"Was it worth it?" Percy's quiet and hoarse word cut through the air like he had shouted. "Of all the gods and goddesses… was it worth listening to Hera?"

Annabeth's breath hitched. She had never heard Percy speak with such a cold anger in his voice.

Turning to him, she decided to ignore the others. "Percy… please… let me explain. Hera said that if I refused the mission, she would have to go with another plan… she didn't give any details, but she said it would involve an exchange between the rivals… between us and the Romans. She said it would be a gamble, but she would be willing to take that chance. She said that, despite her not liking me, I was the best one suited for the mission and that she wanted to give me this chance, so that the Seven would be able to get a head-start on the prophecy."

Percy just stared at her, his eyes almost like windows to the chaos of emotions running amok inside of him: Disbelief, disappointment, anger, confusion, betrayal. And yet, his voice was almost frighteningly calm. "And was it worth it, Annabeth? And what about that girl, Nico's sister? What was she, collateral damage in Hera's schemes?"

Annabeth, on the verge of tears, gasped out. "Please, Percy… what I did… I did it for us… for you. You have been through enough as it is and…"

Whatever the daughter of Athena had wanted to say was cut off by the rising voice of the son of Poseidon, his voice as icy cold and merciless as the ocean.

"And I'm asking if it was worth it! Was it worth listening to Hera to prepare ourselves for a prophecy and war we don't know when will happen?! Instead of befriending them, we are now at war with them! And if that wasn't enough, Nico has turned against us!"

He took a few breaths, trying to calm himself, but it did no good. His feeling of betrayal was suppressing any idea of rational thought. "I have lost my best friend… my cousin… my brother! He, like his dad, is on the warpath and he is screaming for blood! And what about Nico, huh?! Don't you think he has suffered enough?!"

Annabeth wasn't even trying to keep back her tears at this point, but she tried to keep back her sobs. "Percy… please… what happened to his sister… we got help from the Hunters… it was an accident… we tried to… it wasn't supposed to happen."

"Wasn't supposed to… it doesn't matter if it wasn't supposed to happen or not, Annabeth! It did happen and that is all that matters!"

The daughter of Athena let out a strangled sob. "Percy… please…I'm s-s-sorry…"

The son of Poseidon felt that his shouting had drained away his anger, but in its place, the feeling of betrayal had taken over. He couldn't believe that after everything they had been through together, his Wise Girl would keep something like this from him and go behind his back, even if she had just wanted to help. Feeling his eyes starting to prickle and burn with tears, he turned his head away from his girlfriend.

"Annabeth… just… just leave me alone for a bit. Just… leave me alone."

The daughter of Athena, barely stopping every second sob from escaping her lips, tried pleading with Percy. "P-P-Percy… please… please... I'm s-s-sorry…. p-pl-please…"

The son of the Earthshaker felt a single tear sliding down his cheek, the emotional stress of his fight with Nico and Annabeth's recent revelation finally becoming too much for him "Annabeth… just… just leave me alone. All of you… just… just leave me alone."

"I'm afraid we can't allow that."

Percy felt his eyes flying open in shock and despite the vehement and furious protests of his aching body, his head whirled in the direction of the door.

11111

"I'm afraid we can't allow that."

Jason's quiet voice cut through the little bedroom like a hot knife through butter, sending the room into a flurry of activity as the Greeks all as one turned to face the newcomers, just as Jason's three teammates fell in line next to him with Mariana on his left, Marcus on his right and to Frank to the far right.

The son of Jupiter quickly took in the number of opponents and their positions, his blue eyes scanning them, noticing postures and weapons. In front stood a boy that, to Jason at least, looked like a Latino Santa elf with dark curly hair and dark brown eyes that Jason imagined would normally sparkle with mischief if not for the dark focus they currently held. He hadn't drawn any weapons, but Jason was not fool enough to think that he would have no weapons available under that combat cloak.

Next, the praetor's keen gaze settled on the blonde girl standing next to the bed. She wore a navy-blue sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Her face was tearstained and her eyes red and puffy, but the look she was sending their way was enough to make Jason's hand itch to flip Ivlivs. Not to mention, the knife in her hand was eerily familiar, and from the violent hisses from both Frank and Mariana, they recognized it too. It was, without a doubt, the same knife that had Jason had given to Nico that night… the knife that been used to strike Hazel.

Angered, and fingers tightly grasping Ivlivs, the son of Jupiter's eyes moved on to their last opponent and was mildly surprised when he saw that it was a faun wearing a green combat cloak. Briefly wondering what a faun was doing here, his eyes finally settled on the boy in the bed, clear blue eyes meeting sea green and his eyes went wide in surprise.

'Gods of Olympus… if it wasn't for his ashen face, I wouldn't have believed this is the guy that went toe-to-toe with Nico di Angelo. And I thought Nico and I was holding back when we fought… seems Nico was the one holding back the most… or he simply didn't have access to his full power during our fight against him.'

Marvelling at this new revelation, Jason addressed the guy on the bed who barely could be a year older than himself. "I knew the Greeks fight rough, but Nico di Angelo seems to have done quite a number on you… Percy Jackson."

Silence reigned for almost a minute, before the son of the Earthshaker rasped out. "Who are you?"

Jason chuckled as he took off his mask, and for the first time in a long time, his voice held a bit of humour. "You, a fellow demigod, and a son of Poseidon, should know this: Names hold power. But if you must know… I'm Jason, son of Jupiter. On my left is Mariana, in the middle Marcus and on the far right, Frank."

Annabeth raised her knife, raising it despite the nervousness welling up inside of her anew. 'Jupiter… but that means… oh gods… a child of the Big Three. And Percy is in no condition to fight.'

Deciding to stall for time while trying to come up with a plan despite her rising trepidation, Annabeth shifted her grip into a reverse-grip, bringing the knife to eye-level. "Fellow demigod… Jupiter… the Roman form of Zeus. You must be Roman demigods."

Jason gave a curt nod, but it was Marcus who spoke. "Ten points to the blonde."

Annabeth smiled, trying to play the role of the stereotypical stupid blonde, but she was failing. No matter how hard she tried, she didn't see a way this would end well for them… not unless the Hunters of Artemis or some other sort of miracle came by. Preparing to lounge at the first Roman who got within her range, she spoke, and to her surprise, her voice didn't shake.

"How did you find us? And how did you know Percy is a son of Poseidon?"

Jason raised his eyebrow, pondering what she was trying to accomplish. But it was Frank who answered her questions. "I was there when your boyfriend there fought him. You didn't see me, but I saw you." He looked at Percy "Only a son of the Sea God could use water like you did. As for finding you… I've to admit, I couldn't keep up with that metal dragon of yours."

The son of Mars shifted his gaze onto Leo "However… when trying to stay hidden, lightening a fire in the dark is a very stupid idea. One of our… allies… saw your dragon a few days ago. He called for reinforcements and they searched this wood until they found this cabin because of the fire in the fireplace and the old oil lamps outside." Behind his mask, Frank wondered why all of the Greeks looked like they had been punched in the face… especially the guy in the front. Pushing it to the back of his mind for further pondering, he spoke in a as calm manner as he could. "It would be smarter to surrender now. You are outnumbered, and every one of us possesses special powers and counted among the most powerful in Camp Jupiter. You don't stand a chance. Two demigods and a faun against four demigods, one a son of the Elder Three and one who has never been physically wounded in combat."

Behind the guy in front, the faun drew himself to his full height. "I'm a satyr!"

Raising his eyebrow at the difference in attitude from the fauns back at Camp Jupiter and this faun, Jason spoke quietly. "Please. We don't want any more bloodshed."

The guy in front nodded. "We don't want a fight either. Which is why I think you should leave."

The son of Jupiter let out a tired sigh. He had had a feeling it would come to this. "You know that we can't. I will give you one last chance to surrender peacefully. Marcus, give them a warning shot. No deadly force."

The younger demigod gave a tight nod before quickly raising both arms, and if not for the sound of a lighter flame being ignited, Jason would have had no warning as heat exploded from within the boy's sleeves, angry flames flying forward, making the son of Marcus's sleeves resemble the business end of a gun as the blazes raced towards the boy in the front before connecting, making him scream.

The son of Jupiter instantly rounded on Marcus, making his anger very clear, grabbing the younger boy by the front of his dark cloak, causing his mask to fall off. "Marcus! I said no deadly force!"

Marcus opened his mouth to answer, but in the next moment, a voice cut over both of them. "Hephaestus' flaming underpants! That was my favourite jersey, you jerk!"

Jason's head whirled in the direction of the voice, and his eyes widened almost comically, all thoughts of Marcus' insubordination completely forgotten. He might even have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire.

The other boy was flapping his arms so fast as if he thought he could achieve flight, not at all bothered by the flames wrapping around his arms and pulsating near his face at the shoulders, the sleeves of his combat cloak and, apparently, the jersey underneath, completely burned away.

Marcus stuttered. "That w-was what I was trying to tell you Jason. The moment the flames got within a feet him, they sped up. They were supposed to stop that one feet from him, but somehow they connected with him."

Eyes widening at the implications of what the younger boy told him, and only taking slight notice of the fact that Marcus called him Jason, the son of Jupiter focused on the boy in front, just in time to see him lower his arms, flames still dancing around them. Trepidation starting to grow, Jason asked the question he dreaded, hoping the answer would not be what he feared.

"Who are you… and who is your godly parent?"

The boy's answer didn't surprise him, but his change in demeanour did, and the praetor was reminded of their face-off against Nico, as the other boy answered with what could only be described as mounting burning anger.

"Leo Valdez… and I really don't feel like telling you. And you jerks picked the wrong day for this. You see, over the last few days, I've built up quite a bit of steam and energy, and I need to have some outlet for it, right? And now that my dragon isn't here, I can't get an outlet by upgrading him." His eyes darkened further as he looked from the fireball in his right hand, all of the flames previously licking his arms and face now being condensed in his palm, to Jason and Marcus "You gave us a warning shot… allow me to return the favour. Marcus, was it? I believe this belongs to you."

It happened so fast that Jason barely registered it. Leo thrust out his right hand, palm facing them, and a ball of compressed fiery blazes shot towards them with a speed far greater than Marcus' attack had. In the next fraction of a second, the son of Jupiter heard the son of Vulcan changing into his metal form as he ignited his lighters once more. Then, the room exploded with intense heat as the younger fire user tried to block the fireball with his fire. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

Jason would never really know what happened as time seemed to slow down, but when the fireball connected with Marcus' firewall, there was a brief battle of dominance between the blazes, one fuelled by the will of a Greek demigod, the others by a Roman. When Marcus realized that he couldn't win the battle of wills of the fire, and knowing what would happen to his companions in the following explosion, he made a flaming barrier that would contain the blast, making him the sole target of the explosion.

Time sped up again, and Jason took in the shocked expression on the son of Vulcan's face before the room exploded with heat. The son of Jupiter was deafened by the roar of the inferno, the explosion sending Marcus flying backwards out of the door, across the living room and right through the opposite wooden wall, disappearing into the blizzard outside with flames trailing him.

Taking only a brief second to be shocked about this turn of events, Jason quickly regained control of himself and he snapped into battle mode. "Mariana, you will take the girl, Frank you take the faun! I will deal with the fire user!"

The small bedroom exploded with action… both figuratively and literally. Summoning the fire from the fireplace and calling up his inner fire, Leo was instantly engulfed in bright white flames, heating the room faster than the previous explosion. He swallowed some of those blazes, before exhaling them with high pressure, sending a wave of pure fiery destruction towards the Roman demigods.

Jason felt his robes starting to steam and he quickly realized how dire this situation was for them. He was confident he could survive this blast of fire, as it was slower than the first, but he was not about to risk the lives of his teammates.

"Mariana! Frank! Grab my arm!"

Thankfully, both obeyed instantly, and in the next moment, they were skidding across the snowy ground in the blizzard outside, the cold winter air contrasting greatly with the infernal heat which had been licking at their faces just a fraction of a second ago.

Cursing quietly under his breath as Mariana replenished his energy, Jason completely ignored the smoking and burning debris and logs falling around them. He should have known it was not going to be that easy. T Instead, his gaze was completely locked at the six feet large square hold in the cabin wall, twenty metres away. His cursing grew in volume when Leo appeared in said hole, wrapped in flames and crossing his arms, daring them to get any closer. He should have known it wasn't going to be that easy. They had entered the cabin without triggering any sort of trap or alarm, just in time to hear shouting from the bedroom and for them to hear Percy telling Annabeth to leave. Now, Jason knew why they hadn't bothered with any sort of security, not counting the snowstorms over the last couple of days making it almost impossible to set any kind of trap. They were confident Leo would be able to fight any intruder… or they simply hadn't counted on anyone venturing out into a raging blizzard. But whatever the reason, Jason was not about to drop his guard. It could prove costly, especially considering they weren't alone tonight.

-Flashback start-

The four teens landed, rather ungracefully, in a rather elaborate garden with a fountain to their left. Pushing himself to his feet, he made scan of the gardens bathed in the light of the moon. He did a double-take when he spotted the hedges with the albino peacocks roving on top of them. Venturing a quick glance at the man looking at them with amusement, he quickly helped Mariana to her feet. After ensuring his team was unharmed, if slightly dazed, he turned to Lucius Malfoy. "Okay Mr Malfoy, that was nice trick. But… where are we?"

Lucius smiled. "Welcome, my friends, to my home: Malfoy Manor." He took out an old pocket watch, looked at it, before stuffing it and the bracelet back into his cloak. "Come. The head of my organization is waiting."

With that he strolled past them, walking towards the manor in front of them. Glancing at his fellow Romans, Jason gave a short nod before following Mr. Malfoy, the others falling in line behind him. Soon, they reached the decorated front door and had Jason not been a demigod, and in a world filled with witches and wizards, he might have been more alarmed by the doors opening by themselves. But even he was unnerved by the gazes of the portraits as they walked down the dimly lit hallway. And the lavishly decorations and magnificent carpet covering most of the floor didn't help Jason's feeling of having walked into a haunted house. In Jason's experience, there were two kinds of haunted houses: The ones like this, richly decorated but with a sense of no one inhabiting it, while the others were abandoned buildings in various states of disrepair.

At the end of the hallway was door with a bronze handle, by which they stopped as Lucius turned to face them. "You are about to meet the head of our organization, the Knights of Walpurgis. Are you ready?"

Jason gave a tight nod. "We are."

The Malfoy head smiled. "Good. This way, Mr. Grace." Knocking on the door, he waited a few seconds, before opening it and entering the drawing room, holding the door for them. Once they were inside, he closed the door and addressed the man sitting at the long table. "M... Mordred, may I present Mr. Jason Grace and his team."

Jason quickly took in the room. It was a widely proportioned room with dark purple walls with more portraits. An ornate marble mantelpiece with a gilded mirror which had an intricately scrolled frame on top adorned a wall to the side, and a large crystal chandelier hung above them. Having done a scan of the room, his eyes finally settled on the man silently observing him and his team.

As Lucius had said, he was heavily disfigured with scars marring his pale face. He had been a handsome guy once, with dark eyes and long black hair that spotted strands of grey bound in a ponytail with a silver ribbon holding it in place. But despite his scarred face, his voice was surprisingly soft.

"Welcome my friends. My name is Mordred Malvoltio. Please, have a seat."

Jason looked at his comrades, then at the man pouring himself a glass of wine. Hesitantly taking the chair opposite the man, his team remained standing behind him, as Lucius took position behind Mordred. Hesitantly pouring himself a small glass of wine, Jason spoke.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Malvoltio. Please, allow me to introduce my team: On the right, Frank Zhang. In the middle, Mariana Delvin and on the left, Marcus Johnson." He took a hesitant sip of the wine and almost made a face at its bitter taste before speaking again. "I have to admit though, Mr. Malvoltio, that when Mr. Malfoy said your organization was fighting against the Ministry's corruption, I didn't think your headquarters would be so… comfortable."

Something seemed to flash in the elder man's eyes, but before Jason could dwell on it, Mordred spoke.

"Few in my organization are wealthy. They were once, but years with a corrupt government has left most of them on the brink of poverty. The Lucius's family remain in good wealth and frequently donates generous amounts to different kinds of funds" He took a sip of his wine. "As I said, few in the organization are wealthy. However, those who have some wealth, and aren't in jail, also have the best protected properties."

Mordred let out a small chuckle. "I take it Lucius has told you about the manipulations of the Headmaster of Hogwarts?" At Jason's nod, he continued. "The Minister and Headmaster do not see eye to eye on many things, but they both agree on me having to be stopped as they fear the revolution my organization is trying to bring around. But since he and the Minister currently are disagreeing, the Headmaster has taken matters into his own hands and formed his own organization to work against us without the Ministry knowing. In all likelihood, one of his agents is posted outside the Manor."

At this, Jason cocked an eyebrow. "Seems rather risky, having your headquarters here, when you know people of the opposition is just outside."

The scarred man smiled. "Indeed. You will have to forgive me, Mr. Grace, this is not our headquarters. We have many enemies, and thus move between several more secure locations." He took another sip of wine. "I have reason to believe that both the Headmaster and Minister might have you followed. They have both taken a great interest in young di Angelo, and those associated with him. If you are being shadowed, we cannot afford them to find our headquarters."

Jason nodded. "No offence taken… and thank you for the warning." Putting down his glass, he decided to breach the reason they were here. "Mr. Malfoy told me that if we helped your organization with a few tasks, you would help us getting Nico di Angelo."

Emptying the wine, Mordred poured himself another glass. "Yes. One favour is worth another, don't you think?"

The son of Jupiter grasped the glass and took another tentative sip of wine. "And what would those favours be?"

The elegantly dressed man smiled pleasantly. "Not much. Reconnaissance mostly, though, should it be necessary, to be our backup. But I promise you, I will not put your team in unnecessary danger."

Jason nodded. "And in return?"

Mordred took a small sip. "In return, we will help you get Nico di Angelo removed from Hogwarts and be your backup should you find yourself in trouble. Moreover, Lucius will provide your team with provisions and news about di Angelo and… other possible enemies… maybe even help you capturing them." Another sip of wine. "So, Mr. Grace… do we have an agreement?"

Jason frowned. "If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Malvoltio: What makes you think we can be of any assistance to your organization… and how do you plan on getting Nico di Angelo out of the castle?"

Once more, something seemed to flash in Mordred's eyes, but his voice remained calm, if a bit icy. "To answer your second question first: Like you, we have our ways of doing things. Which leads me on to your first question: After all we have heard about di Angelo's capabilities, you wouldn't approach him unless you had some power yourself." Mordred's eyes bore into Jason's. "So Mr. Grace… what is your answer?"

Jason looked at Mordred then his team before coming to a decision. "We have a deal, Mr. Malvoltio."

A smile crept across the older man's face. "Excellent. Lucius, the bracelet."

The head of the Malfoy family took out the bracelet that had transported them here and handed it over to Mordred who took it. The scarred man took out his wand, pointed it at the bracelet and murmured a long string of words Jason didn't hear. Once he was done, he handed it over to the son Jupiter who hesitantly took it, an enquiring look on his face, prompting Mordred to smirk slightly.

"That bracelet has been transformed into a Portkey that will take you to either Hogsmeade or here. The password for getting here is Morsmordre; for Hogsmeade, you just say Hogsmeade."

The son of Jupiter gave a tight nod, accepting the bracelet and slipping it inside his jacket. "Thank you, Mr. Malvoltio."

Mordred smiled. "No, thank you, Mr Grace. With your help, our organization will be able to fight the corruption of Ministry and the manipulations of the Headmaster much sooner than expected. Here, a final parting gift."

With a flick of his wand, four black cloaks appeared on the table. Giving a friendly smile, Mordred gestured for the son of Jupiter to take them. "Please, take them. They are yours."

Jason stood, gave the cloaks a glance before handing them to his team. "Once again, thank you Mr. Malvoltio. How will we get in contact?"

Lucius stepped forward. "I will be your contact and informant." He pulled out two square mirrors with green snakes coiling around the handle and glass. Giving one to Jason, he quickly explained. "These are Two-way mirrors. To get in contact with me, simply say my name into the mirror, and we will be able to talk without risk of the Ministry finding out."

Jason nodded, pocketing the mirror. With a forced smile, he addressed the two older men. "Thank you. You have been most kind. However, if our business is finished here, we will take our leave." When the two men smiled and gave small nods, he spoke to his team. "Frank, Marcus, Mariana, let's go." He looked at Malfoy, giving a tight smile. "Thank you for your hospitality Mr. Malfoy. We'll find our own way out."

That being said, the four teens gave a quick bow and left the drawing room. Once they were out in the garden, Jason took out the bracelet and spoke. "Well, time to see if they are good on their words. Everybody, hang on." All of his team put a hand on the bracelet, all with varying expressions of wariness. Jason sighed. "Here goes. Hogsmeade!"

Just like before, the team of Roman demigods felt a tug behind their navels and were whisked away. When they landed, they found themselves back in the exact same spot in the village as they had travelled from. Grumbling about unpleasant trips, Jason helped his team back on their feet and started walking towards their apartment.

Frank took a quick few steps and caught up to Jason, looking over his shoulder at his fellow demigods before speaking in hushed tones. "Do you really trust them? After meeting their leader?"

Jason snorted. "About as much as Octavian wants to be friends with the Greeks."

Frank let out a relieved breath. "Thank the gods. They were seriously giving me the creeps." He peered curiously as Jason. "So… what made you distrust them?"

The praetor of New Rome sighed. "Their behaviour. Something wasn't right. When we entered the drawing room, Mr Malfoy hesitated calling Mr Malvoltio by his first name… like it would offend him. Also… there was something else… but I can't quite put my finger on it."

Mariana nodded. "I know. But what really struck me as odd is that they never said anything about what they were doing to help the general public against the corruption and manipulations."

Jason almost stopped so abruptly that the others walked into him. "You're right. One would think that a rebel group would talk more about what they were doing to alert the public to what's going on. So… either they aren't what they say they are; or they simply don't think it was necessary to share that information with us."

Marcus frowned. "So… what are we going to do praetor?"

Jason ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He had a feeling this was going to end badly for him, but he couldn't afford to look weak now. Normally, he wouldn't even consider going along with what he was about to do, but he was desperate to find his sister and talk to her. But before he could get leave to do that, he would have to capture Nico di Angelo. The faster, the better. And to catch Nico faster, he was in need of all the help he could get. Steeling his determination, he answered as calmly as he could. "For the time being, we are going to play along. Let's see if their word can be trusted or not."

"And if they can't be trusted? What if they are just using us?"

The son of Jupiter narrowed his eyes, and even if they couldn't see his face, the other demigods got a reminder of just why he was praetor. "They are not using us, Marcus; we are using them to further our goal: To capture Nico di Angelo. And if they do not deliver on their promises… then they will find out that we are not just a bunch of kids that makes empty threats."

-Flashback end-

Shaking his head to clear it for any distracting thoughts, he focused all of his attention on the fire user observing them. 'This is the second time we face a Greek demigod in battle. And for the second time, it has been one nasty surprise after the other.'

Venturing a glance at his teammates, he asked a somewhat stupid question. "You two alright?"

Frank gave a nod, sweat stilling running down his face. "Yeah. Thanks Jason, you saved our bacon."

Mariana nodded shakily and gave a slight smile as she felt Jason's energy levels hitting max. "There, all good. But what was that just now? How did we get out without getting burned to a crisp?"

The praetor didn't answer at first, his focus completely on Leo who had taken a step towards them, the blizzard not even bothering him. Pondering their strategy, the son of Jupiter whispered his explanation, making sure that no one but his friends would be able to hear.

"As I'm sure you know, Hazel could Shadow-Travel… and I suspect Nico di Angelo is fully capable of this as well. By calling the shadows to them, they can, well, travel through the shadows, crossing hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye." His two present companions nodded. "What I do, is slightly based on that. I call upon the wind and lightning within me… it's hard to explain, but basically, my body becomes wind and lightning, allowing me to move with the speed of the wind and the power of lightning. But my range is limited to around thirty metres, even if there are obstacles in my way, and only in a straight line. And it tires me greatly, so I can only do it once or twice a day… well, normally, that is."

Frank raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you do it to begin with? You could have taken them out before they could even blink."

Jason sighed, keeping his eyes trained on Leo who seemed to be waiting for them to make their move. "Because it's not designed for battle, but as a quick way of escaping a tight spot. And I can only move the same way the wind blows. In other words, I'm limited in where I want to go. And I've to stand perfectly still when I prepare to, well, jump or fly, I suppose you could call it. Otherwise, it's too hard to control. Lightning is warm… wind is cold. I need to balance it perfectly, or I will fry myself and all holding onto me… or, sorry for the pun, scatter them to the winds. But even if I could use it to fight someone with, I wouldn't use it. I don't want to kill any of them, even by accident."

Mariana looked at him, mouth hanging open in silent shock before speaking slowly. "I see. But praetor, with all due respect, if you weren't limited to where you move, we can't afford such luxuries! They obviously don't have any qualms about killing us! That last attack-!"

"Was a warning shot." Jason cut off the daughter of Apollo with more calm than he felt. "It was slow enough for us to have left the bedroom without any major injuries."

"But the hole in the wall…"

"Is because of our praetor choosing not to take any chances with your lives, opting instead on taking your with him out of there. The speed of his movement tore through the wall and was great enough to drag the flames with him. I saw you appearing, and then the flames burst through."

The group of Roman demigods turned, letting out relieved breaths as Marcus walked towards them in his metal form, the cloak long gone. Marina smiled, looking the younger boy up and down. "Are you hurt?"

The son of Vulcan snorted, but a small smile played across his lips. "Only my pride." He walked up to them, taking his position between Jason and Frank. "So what is the plan to capture those guys? Do we call for our back-up?"

Jason shook his head discreetly, wondering how long Leo was just going to stay there. "No… we can't afford to look weak now. We said we would handle it on our own and that Mr Malfoy and his companions would just need to be ready for transportation."

Unease started to crawl up on the son of Jupiter. Something wasn't right. Why was Leo just standing there, waiting for them to make their move? Jason was starting to smell an ambush, but he didn't know how the Greeks planned to take them by surprise. Gritting his teeth, knowing he was taking a chance, he quietly informed them of the game plan.

"Okay, this is going to be tricky. I will keep the storm at its current level. That way, hopefully, we can keep the tactical advantage. Because of the heat of those flames, we can't draw weapons against him or we risk having our weapons explode. Mariana, you will deal with the girl, Frank you get the faun. Marcus… you will be our support. Whoever gets done with their opponent first helps the others."

His platoon gave a tight nod and moved into action.

11111

Leo didn't know how the Roman demigods had evacuated the room so quickly, but however they had done it, it left a gaping hole in the cabin as they pulled the firewall with them. It was meant to flew and stop a feet from them before dissolving, but when Jason had done… whatever he had done, he had dragged the fire with him, focusing all of its power in a single spot, creating that large hole in the wall… not to mention scorching most of the furniture in the living room.

Now, he was standing in the blizzard, facing down the Roman demigods. He had hoped he would be able to scare them off, but now they were running towards him, Jason and who he assumed to be Marcus in front, the others right behind him.

'Guess I should have known it wouldn't be that easy to scare them off. Children of the Big Three are ridiculously strong and stubborn.'

Pushing his dismay to the back of his mind, the son of Hephaestus ran forward to meet them, pulling out a couple of hammers as he went, before throwing them at the incoming demigods. Unfortunately, Marcus just swatted one out of the air and caught the other, never losing momentum.

As they drew nearer to each other, Leo intensified the flames engulfing him, causing the Romans to fan out, Jason and Marcus heading straight for him while the two others went around him. Or at least, that was what they were trying to do. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the girl, Mariana, suddenly get smacked backwards, crashing to the ground, while the other guy, Frank, seemed to trip on something. Not bothering to check on the effectiveness of their tactic, Leo went for the remaining two, pulling out a larger hammer than the last from his toolbelt. Just before they got within striking range, Jason jumped and soared into the sky, allowing Leo to meet Marcus head-on.

That was the last thing Leo wanted. He didn't want to hurt any of them… much less the guy who might very well be his half-brother. Leo had felt it when they clashed in the bedroom; the battle of control over the fire. And now, here he was, in all his flaming glory, exchanging blows with the second fire-user in centuries… his little-brother.

Leo didn't want to fight. He abhorred war. And now, he realized why civil war was the worst kind of war. It pitted family against each other, brother vs brother, leaving nothing but pain. And now, here he was, fighting his own brother. Breaking their deadlock, Leo ducked under a strike from the younger demigod, and he got the feeling that the other demigod wasn't really trying.

'Meaning,' Leo thought bitterly, 'he knows he is fighting his own brother and doesn't want to, but has to.' Instead of voicing his thoughts, he easily deflected another swipe. "You are a son of Vulcan, Hephaestus' Roman form… aren't you?"

The younger boy hesitated, and despite his metallic form, Leo could see the regret in his eyes. "I am."

Leo nodded, lowering his hammer and extinguishing his fire shield. "Then we shouldn't fight. Not like this. We are brothers. We should…"

Whatever the son of Hephaestus was going to say was cut off by the younger demigod's yell. "We are not brothers! You are Greek, I am Roman! Octavian made the differences very clear!"

Leo opened his mouth to tell him not to listen to this Octavian dude, as he heard the doubt in the younger boy's voice, however metallic it sounded to others, but he was cut off again, this time by a blood-chilling scream. And it didn't take him long to find the source, despite the snowstorm. Annabeth, her baseball cap of invisibility having been taken or blown off during the battle, was now clutching her right arm with a grimace of pain, her opponent, Mariana, in some of sort of martial arts stance. Glancing around, the son of the blacksmith god didn't see Grover and his opponent anywhere, but he thought he heard a roar somewhere near the cabin.

Turning around, Leo gave a bitter smile at Marcus before saying two words. "I'm sorry."

Before the younger demigod could say anything to that, he got a small blast of fire in the face. But that was just the distraction. Before Marcus' line of vision was free from the flames, he was dealt three quick and powerful blows to the head with a hammer, the third blow strong enough to send him to the ground. Quickly getting back on his feet, he saw that Leo was already tearing straight for the girls.

11111

Annabeth couldn't believe how this night could get any worse. Fighting this girl, and she knew how. When she had tackled the younger girl, the young demigod had grasped in thin air, somehow managing to remove Annabeth's favourite baseball cap. From there, it only got worse. She had managed to block the arrows the young archer fired at her with arrows of her own, a task made harder by the wind carrying the arrows off course and the frost biting at her eyes and skin. She had even managed to snap the bow of the younger demigod by using her knife. But that had been the easy part.

Years ago, if someone had told her that a demigod, who wasn't a child of the Big Three, could be far more dangerous with his or her hands than a long range weapon, she would have laughed. Now, she knew better. First, there was Leo. Then, there was that younger Roman fire user. And now the girl she was fighting. Or rather, the girl she was losing to.

It had come out of nowhere. After snapping her bowstring, the fight hand turned into a hand-to-hand battle. At first, Annabeth had held the advantage with her extra height, weight, strength and experience. But then, it had happened. The daughter of Athena had lunged, trying to punch the younger girl and cut her, but Mariana had blocked her, and then quickly jabbed her right elbow joint with two fingers before striking her shoulder with three.

It had been nothing more than glancing pokes, and yet her joints had exploded with pain. And unfortunately, it was a pain she had experience once before, when she was still a newbie at Camp Half-Blood. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she glared at the younger girl and asked a simple question. "How?"

The daughter of Apollo tilted her head, observing the older demigod. Not seeing any threat, she spoke quietly. "I'm a daughter of Apollo, so I don't need to explain him to you. As you know, he is, among other things, a god of healing and medicine, so obviously, my powers revolve about those." She stepped closer, causing the daughter or Athena to tense up. "It takes a considerable amount of force to dislocate a shoulder. One of my abilities is that I'm able to apply the same amount of force through my fingertips. So even if it's just a grazing blow… I can dislocate any joint with the slightest of touches. I'm mostly kept behind in battle, acting as an archer, reserve and healer. But, in some ways, I'm the strongest hand-to-hand fighter of Camp Jupiter… you should give up while you still can."

Annabeth stared for only a moment. The blizzard was now so strong that she could only see as far as Mariana. She knew her chances against the younger girl had just diminished greatly, but as she didn't know where any of her friends were, or how they were faring, and thus she did the only thing she could think of: She attacked. But unfortunately, the daughter of Apollo was prepared for that. Blocking with her right hand, the younger girl slammed her palm into Annabeth's chest. A second later, Annabeth coughed up blood and fell to her knees, clutching her chest. Mariana sighed.

"That was a foolish move. This last blow did severe internal damage to your lungs and capillaries. One more strike in the same region, just a glancing tap, and you will die. You should-"

The young girl was cut off and she went flying, landing behind Annabeth with a grunt. Reason: Leo body-slammed her from behind, ramming his shoulder into her back. Annabeth's relief, however, was short lived. "Leo, watch out!"

Spinning on his heel, Leo was tackled by Jason, the blonde grinding him into the snow covered ground. However, as Jason discovered, Leo was not that easy to keep down, and the son of Jupiter was forced to let go as flames once more flared to life, wrapping themselves around Leo like a cloak. Pushing himself to a standing position, the son of Hephaestus glared with burning anger at the son of Jupiter.

"You have made me mad, Sky Boy. And when I get mad… things get very hot."

As if to prove his point, the flames engulfing Leo went from dull yellow to blazing white in matter of seconds and the infernal wave he unleashed towards the Roman praetor spanned thirty feet in width and was fifteen feet tall. But much to Leo's shock, the inferno parted in the middle, going around the blonde praetor with a roar, scorching the ground behind the Roman. Leo's eyes narrowed as the last of the flame passed the son of Jupiter.

'Strange… it was like the fire bended. But that shouldn't be… unless…' Gripping the hammer in his right hand tightly for a second, the son of the god of fire hurled the hammer at the blonde boy with all of his might. With its trajectory, it should hit Jason in shoulder. But three feet from the praetor, the hammer seemed to hit something, and it flew several feet over the blonde's head. Leo's eyes went wide in realization. 'A shield made of air… not bad. Guess I will have to resort to my ultimate trick.'

Taking a deep breath, he started to focus all of his energy into his right hand. At first, the flame was pure white. But then, it changed colour once more. It got a greenish hue before growing bright green and dying down to the size of his palm. Leo was no longer shrouded in flames, but Jason felt his throat tighten against his will when he laid eyes on the green blazes. Leo smiled grimly, holding out his hand towards the praetor, making the other boy take step back.

"This is the flames produced by Greek Fire… so, wanna test your luck Sky Boy? If not, leaving me and my friends alone is a rather good idea."

But then, the worst thing happened: the green fire in his hand started dying out and the sweat started flowing more freely down his brow, followed by extreme cold. Hearing a silent groan behind him as the flames died out, he turned, just to see Annabeth collapse, falling forward. Feeling his own muscles starting to ache, his breathing becoming more difficult and nausea washing over him like a tidal wave, the son of Hephaestus fell to his knees, clutching his chest, looking wildly around with a blurry vision. Before everything went dark and he lost consciousness, he saw Mariana kneeling nine feet behind Annabeth and him, the younger demigod focusing her intense gaze on them. As unconsciousness claimed him, his sluggish mind wondered: 'How?'

With that, he tilted sideways, out cold.

Jason sighed. "Finally… That was a little too close for comfort." Walking forward, he reached the unconscious demigods at the same time as Mariana. "You okay?"

The daughter of Apollo nodded. "Yeah. But taking on that girl was not exactly a walk in the park."

Jason chuckled, but it held no humour. "I imagine. It appears these Greeks are full of surprises… they always seem to have an ace up the sleeve."

"I would say." A gruff voice spoke up behind them. "This faun, satyr, whatever, was a pain to catch. He turned all of my arrows into twigs, my pilum into a small Christmas tree, made tree branches and roots ensnare me… I'm suddenly very glad for the occasional trouble caused by the fauns at Camp."

Looking to his right, Jason nodded at Frank, the unconscious satyr slung over his shoulder as a sack of potatoes. The son of Mars looked unscathed, but when he joined their group, the praetor saw small tears in his clothes and minor cuts in his face. "Alright there Frank?"

The son of Mars grunted, his eyebrow twitching. "Yeah." He looked down at the two unconscious Greeks. "I see you are finished here. But where is Marcus…" A yell sounded from behind them. "… Never mind. You need a hand Marcus?"

"Shut it, Zhang."

"Let go of me! Let… ANNABETH! No, no, NO!"

Jason watched with mixed emotions as the son of Poseidon started thrashing around, trying to break free from Marcus' hold. Trying, being the keyword. The son of Poseidon could barely move his arms, and Jason could see the pain on his face every time he did. And even if he somehow managed to break free, he wouldn't be able to do anything. He couldn't even stand on his feet, otherwise Marcus wouldn't have chosen to drag the older demigod. The son of Jupiter sighed, pushing down his feelings of pity and regret.

"You are beaten, Percy Jackson. We are taking you captive."

Percy stopped struggling, meeting the eyes of the son of Jupiter… eyes that seemed strikingly familiar before lowering his gaze to the still body of his girlfriend. "Why don't you just kill us and be done with it?"

Jason sighed, hefting Leo over his shoulders, the stress of leadership weighing more than the demigod. "And what would be gained from killing you? Nothing, but even more anger and hatred. I want peace and justice, Percy Jackson. Peace and justice for my friend Hazel… who was attacked by someone from you camp. Peace and justice, Percy… not bloodshed and war. You are of far more value to us alive." He turned his head before shouting. "Mr. Malfoy! We're ready!"

The son of the Earthshaker felt his heart skip several beats. Not just because of what Jason had said, but also because of the people now emerging through the waning blizzard. Percy counted eight people, all wearing black cloaks and white porcelain masks. The one in front, obviously this Malfoy guy Jason had mentioned, removed his mask, giving Percy a clear view of his long silvery hair and cold grey eyes, before speaking with voice softer than silk.

"My, my. That was quite a show." Percy couldn't see the man's eyes, but he felt his cold and appraising gaze on him nonetheless. "So… he is the one? The one who took on Nico di Angelo in a one-on-one duel?"

Jason gave a tight nod. "That's him alright. We got lucky… the fight would have been much harder if he had been in any condition to fight."

Lucius gave a nod, eyes never leaving Percy. And although both boys missed it, there was trace of hunger in the older man's voice. "Well, I must say, well done. When you first appeared through that wall with flames following you, I feared we might be forced to interfere. But you handled them, as you said you would, providing we could find them for you." His voice grew a bit quieter. "Mr Grace, we have upheld our part of our bargain. Now you will have to uphold yours if we shall continue working together."

The son of Jupiter nodded, watching silently as the Knights of Walpurgis made the unconscious Greeks float with their wands. "You have proved you and your organization can be trusted on your word. One favour is worth the other. But for now, I would very much like to get our prisoners secured and getting out of this cold. Mr. Malfoy, if you please."

Lucius gave a slight nod, a smile playing across his lips. "Certainly, Mr. Grace."

Percy tried to struggle, but in the end, he could only look on helplessly as Malfoy and the others grabbed him and his unconscious friends by the arms. Then, Malfoy's words rang through his mind and eyes widened in shock. 'Grace… no… it can't be…'

But before he could process it further, he experienced the most uncomfortable feeling, like he was being forced down a very tight rubber tube, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he blacked out.

00000

"Harry! HARRY!"

Harry woke with a startle, eyes flying open, cold sweat pouring down his face and bile rising in his throat. Thrashing against his confining covers, his scar burning like crazy, the Boy-Who-Lived took no heed of his roommates and, the pain in his scar becoming unbearable, leaned over the edge of his bed and vomited.

Barely recognizing the concerned voices of his friends, Harry felt a couple of hands steadying him and pushing him gently into a sitting position. Still heaving for breath, Harry felt his glasses being slid onto his face and someone rubbing soothing circles on his back. The pain in his scar dulling somewhat, the Gryffindor got some clarity of mind and when Ron appeared in his field of vision, opening his mouth, he cut across his friend, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I need to see… Dumbledore… there has been… an attack."

End chapter 16

**AN2/2.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter and that it was worth waiting for. It's probably not my best chapter, but it gave me a lot of trouble, especially the hospital scene.**

**I know some of you might be curious about Mariana's special hand-to-hand powers: They are heavily inspired by a special clan in the manga 'Naruto' and some of one of its more combat-minded medics. The clan has, long story short, the ability to target the internal organs through the Chakra Network, which is a network that transports energy throughout the body much like our blood vessel, as they have a bloodline that grants them X-ray-like vision. Basically, if they hit you in the chest, even if it's just a glancing strike, they can do considerable damage your heart and lungs. The combat-medic doesn't have X-ray vision, but is somewhat a genius when it comes to Medical-ninjutsu and the anatomy of the human body. **

**Now, time for a little quiz. What was the publish date of 'Dark Phoenix'? Answer: December 21, 2011. In other words, long before 'House of Hades' and 'Blood of Olympus' were published. And yes, I've read BoO. And no, I'm not going to discuss it in an Author's Note or in anonymous reviews. If you want to discuss it, say so in a review or send me a PM. **

**Also, the review section is for reviewing the story… not starting a debate with other readers on politics. If you want to discuss politics or whatever: Go to the relevant places. **

**Lastly: I've had people asking me stupid questions and telling me what I can and cannot do regarding Nico. I tried making a compromise in chapter 15… it didn't work. And now I've simply lost the last of my patience. No more nice guy, even if it probably will cost me readers and reviewers: This is my fanfic, I can and will do whatever I bloody want, whether you like it or not. As long as I enjoy my story, I will keep writing. That being said: I'm going to continue my story as when I first planned it almost four years ago, meaning, and I might give spoilers here and go against what I said earlier, that Nico is going to stay STRAIGTH for the rest of this story and possible sequels. END OF DISCUSSION. **

**I believe that Rick made a mistake. His mistake wasn't having a supposedly homo- or bisexual character. He just chose the wrong character and handled it so poorly it wasn't funny. I'm not going to give all of my reasons here, but think about this. **

**Nico was never in the spotlight as a character until 'House of Hades' and 'Blood of Olympus', and few gave him much thought. There were never any clues to him being bi- or homosexual. If Rick really wanted to show his support for gay-rights or try giving young people who might or might not be gays to relate to, he should have chosen a character in the spotlight, for instance one of the Seven (not counting Percy and Annabeth, as they were already established to be a couple.)**

**I'm not going to get into a deeper discussion about it here, so if you want to have that discussion with me, say so in the review/PM, but I tell you now, I'm not going to change my mind or story. **

**Again, hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Time for sneak peeks for the next chapter. **

00000

"He is our father!"

"That is the risk you take when you work for a secret organization."

00000

"The more interesting question is: What is a demigod, a son of Hades no less, doing among us wizards?"

00000

"What is so funny, di Angelo?"

"Just trying to decide who of you are more pathetic."

00000

**Time for anonymous reviews.**

Guest chapter 15 . Dec 29, 2014

OMG! This was awesome! Now I want to read the whole thing over again. BUT I CAN'T BECAUSE I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS. No please please update. Or I will have to kill you. With JB music while watching the wrecking ball music video. AND STEALING ALL OF YOUR COOKIES! (Happy Holidays)

**Killing me would be rather counterproductive to get an update, don't you think? XD But glad to hear you enjoy the story. **

Guest chapter 15 . Nov 11, 2014

really really awesome, please do try to update soon. i love this story and i've been watching for it for a long time. I would hate to see something as good as this wasted.

**Glad you enjoy the story **** And I promise you, I'm going to see this story to the end. **

Crimson3 chapter 15 . Nov 9, 2014

To be frank, I love how you protrayed Nico; his character was easy to understand(well like his rage for Annabeth and Thalia). Also I like how you included Percy's thoughts on Nico being his "little brother", I feel like this is a good representation on Percy's fatal flaw. Also, to be honest I am a big fan of a bromance Percy and Nico relationship. Their characters in the book just seems to lead in that area, well more so in the first series than HoO. However, I also like a love hate friendship between them. I feel like in this story this is how it is going to be like; after all Leo stated Nico held back from killing Percy. I do hope they rekindle their friendship... What is Nico's thoughts on Percy at the moment? As well as Percy to Nico? This battle surely represented their friendship, though it seems to be in shambles but is it? I feel like they will still at least be distant friends in the end. Also I am surprised that Percy has forgotten about the dream he had concerning someone plotting Nico's death? I honestly thought that was going to come up in this chapter. Also when will Trelawney's prophecy come true? It is hinted in the end Percy will help Nico to get over his hatred or at least help him against the person plotting his death. Also I am rather curious about Jason and his death water meeting. I did not think Jason would be easily manipulated into that thinking, however, Nico hasn't exactly been kind to him either.

Well thank you for such a wonderful chapter:) hope to see more soon :) and a better friendship for Percy and Nico :P

**Thank you **** I'm glad to hear you think that of Nico and that you like the way I portray him. And I'm overjoyed happy that you approve of Percy thinking of Nico as his 'little brother'; as you say, their relationship in the first series is very much like that of brothers. And that you like the seemingly love-hate relationship between them and that the battle represented just that.**

**As for Nico's thoughts on Percy after the fight… it might be included later, when no one is around to talk to Nico, giving him peace and quiet to think. But hope Percy's thoughts on Nico was conveyed. **

**As for Percy forgetting about the dream: Blame his ADHD. And with a battle going on, he has a bit more concerns going on in his head. And even if Percy did tell Nico about someone plotting to kill him… I imagine Nico's reaction being something "What else is new?"**

**Regarding Trelawney's prediction… well, maybe it is already happening… XD**

**As for Jason being manipulated: Well, hope this one answered your question about that. And try seeing it for Jason's point of view, putting yourself in his place. He wants to find his sister as quickly as possible, but he has another mission before he can do that. He is in a somewhat vulnerable state right now. **

**Hope that answered your questions. And thank you for the in depth review. **

Devil's Spawn chapter 15 . Nov 1, 2014

Touché. So does that means no killing? I love this chapter! It is amazing!But please update, OTHERWISE I WILL TORTUR- I meant...uh...yeah, bye

**Yeah, no killing and no torture XD *holds up fingers in victory sign* But glad you loved the chapter **

F di Angelo chapter 15. Oct 10, 2014

You my good sir, are an incredible author. I love how well written this story is. Also I whole-heartedly support the Nico/Hermione pairing. While I'm on that topic is Nico going to stay in Britain? Also when will Nico tell someone that he is a demigod? And when are you gonna freakin' update this story? I would also like to compliment you for using that unexpected Naruto reference. I LOVE Naruto to the point of obsession (which I'm proud of) And please more Naruto references will awesome.

And if the next chapter is as awesome as the others I might review again.

**Thank you **** I'm happy to hear you approve of the Nico/Hermione pairing… I've gotten quite a few ear lashings on that account. As for Nico staying in Britain: Haven't thought that far yet. Maybe. As for telling he is a demigod… when I see fit XD Well, me updating answered that question XD Glad you liked the Naruto reference. Hope you could spot the ones in this one. Hope this chapter was good enough for you to review XD**

Guest chapter 15 . Oct 8, 2014

Oh my God are we still on this? NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR SEXUALITY! This is not facebook or instagram where every snot nosed gay/straight person likes to spend too much time posting about how gay or straight they are. NO ONE CARES! You people are sad. I swear to God if someone else posts a commet about this whole 'sexual orientation debate' thing Ya'll have got going on, I will stab a bitch. Ya'll need Jesus.

I would also say that I am not trying to offend anybody. I'm just sick and tired of this whole debate and am personally saddened that anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, has even gotten involved in this stupid thing in the first place. My faith in humanity has plummeted.

P.S. to the author of this story, I love your story and am sorry for this whole debate.

**Thank you for trying to put an end to the debate. And thank you for your support. **

Guest chapter 15 . Oct 3, 2014

K sorry but what the hell? Nico's not old enough to understand sexuality? No, just no that is heteronormative bullshit. I swear this fandom and so many other people need to know that's one of the most harmful things to practice on children who are lgbtq. They exist and trying to excuse and give reasons for why THEY THINK(as cisheterosexuals) a young non-heterosexual person/character couldn't or shouldn't be or consider themselves non-het. is gross and erasive. I can barely find the words to express how wrong that all is.

(Continued) and as a lgbtq person myself I can most certainly tell you that yes you can be certain of sexuality in those ages but, here's way it bothers me so much personally. When I had tried to bring the topic up with multiple people and come out they all just laughed and told me I was too young to know that sort of thing I'm almost mid-20's and nothing has changed I'm that same sexuality I that I discovered I was all those years ago. But after all those years of negative treatment and hiding and lying because I was terrified for anyone to know my sexuality because the treatment given and how I had on multiple occasions had what I had to say brushed aside (the media was no help). I am even now scared out of my mind of social interaction, that brought on violent panic attacks and have to take anti-depressants for most of my teenage life. Destroying a persons representation is sick and harmful.

**Not sure if this was directed at me, but considering it was left in a review, I will address it this once.**

**While I'm sorry about your experiences and how it has affected you later on, it's not really my concern. I used to have what I thought to be crush on one my best friends around that age, but today I'm strictly into girls. What does that make me, I wonder? **

**Secondly, this story is not addressed to children, but to middle-aged teens and up. They are able to think for themselves. You say that destroying a person/character's representation is sick and harmful. Yet I can't help but wonder if you would say the same if I had turned Percy homosexual.**

Guest chapter 15 . Sep 20, 2014

you should write a story where the gods from the gods and demigods from around after the last olympian read this story.

**Not going to happen, sorry. I think I have only read a couple of stories like that, and I don't have time, energy or interest in writing a work like that.**

Guest chapter 15 . Sep 13, 2014

Can we all just let this gay thing go? It doesnt matter what we readers think. If the author of this (amazing) story wants to make Nico remain gay or not, the author has the right to do so. Thats why its called fanfiction. (plus Nico and Hermiome are already a couple so... yeah)

**Thank you for trying to put a stop to that debate. And I thank you for the support of me writing whatever I want. And glad you enjoy the story.**

Guest chapter 15 . Sep 13, 2014

To all the people who are like "I have nothing against gays but I DONT THINK HE SHOULD BE" That IS against gays and is in fact 100% homophobic to deny and not want a character that is or does not want them to be gay. I mean really, when a character is canonically gay you can't just change that, you can't just take a away someone's representation, take the only lgbqt character and make him straight. Its erasure, it's not ok. And if you say well I personally think/want that that's still not ok.

**Not change that? Want to bet? This is called fanfiction for a reason. Also, I started this story years ago, and there were no indication of him being gay… which, by the way, was never specified either.**

**You call it erasure. I call it correcting a mistake made by the author. (See AN2/2). And considering I very much doubt you would protest even near half as much if I had taken a straight character and made him/her gay, I'm not really going to give much thought to what you think is right or wrong to do in fanfiction.**

Guest chapter 15 . Sep 6, 2014

Great story! I just have one question. Is Nico Bi? Did he used to be Bi? Is he now straight? I hated when Rick Riordan made Nico gay. In my mind he is straight and always will be straight. Please keep him straight! I have nothing against gays, I just feel that Nico is a character that would just be ruined by suddenly turning gay. Especially since we all thought of him as straight before he made his shocking announcement. Thanks for listening!

**For this story, and possible sequels, Nico is going to stay straight. And glad you enjoy my little story **

Angel of Death chapter 15 . Aug 31, 2014

Jjjjjaaaassssooonnnn! You're so evil!

Gee, in the preveiw I thought Percy would say

That, not Leo. Least he gets a spotlight. :)

That was amazing

Also, a small favor. I think you should watch Angel beats and write a PJO crossover cus you're SUCH AN AMAZING WRITER AND OTONASHI IS SO FRICKIN KWAII!

To watch, get CrunchyRoll on your iPad or something, don't sign in if you don't have an account. You can still access the anime.:)

There will be adds:(

I give you the honor of writing the first AB and PJO XOVER!

PS

Cookkkiiieeesss( and marsh mellows and A GIGANTIC D

FEAST!)

(;;) (::)(::)(::)(::) (0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)[][][][][][][][][[[][][][][][][][][][][][]

\_/ - fail smile face!

Arigato,

Angel of death

**Nope, Jason is not evil… just desperate. Hehe, think a lot of people thought it was going to be Percy saying that, but it struck me how familiar both Nico and Leo really are.**

**I hate to disappoint my readers, but I'm afraid I can't grant you that favor. I'm hard pressed on time between school and other stuff, so don't really have the time to get into another project. **

**But thank you for the cookies and marshmallows and glad to hear you like my story.**

Guest chapter 15 . Aug 22, 2014

I'm confused. Is Nico gay, bi, or assexual? Please clear this up. Other then that, great story!

**For this story and possible sequels, he is straight. There is some debate on the subject whether he is bi or gay.**

Guest chapter 15 . Aug 22, 2014

Hermione and Nico need a badass ship name. Because Hico or Nermione just isnt going to cut it.

**Well, I let my readers deal with coming up with ship names. Not really my style.**

Guest chapter 15 . Aug 22, 2014

Do they have some sort of award for best fanfiction? Because if so, you should win it.

**No idea if there is such a thing. But thank you for the praise **

Guest chapter 15 . Aug 22, 2014

Your story is arguably better then The Harry Potter or Percy Jackson series! Thank you for giving us this incredible story.

GODS SPEED!

**Thank you for the incredible praise. **

Guest chapter 15 . Aug 22, 2014

My friend read this story and asked if it was written by a proffesional writer. Keep up the good work!

**Nope, not a professional writer… but it's my dream and ambition to become one someday. And thank you and thank your friend for the heartwarming praise **

Guest chapter 15 . Aug 21, 2014

First off let me just say that you are an AMAZING writer. Secondly... OMG! I started binge reading this story 2 days ago and I just finally got to chapter 15! I absolutely love it! Keep up the great work and God bless!

**Thank you **** Two days reading all of Dark Phoenix? That's faster than I could do.**

Guest chapter 15 . Aug 17, 2014

Awesome fic! Thx for not having anyone at Hogwarts figure out that nico is a demigod yet! It makes the fic way better than others that have!

**Thank you **** Glad you enjoy the fic. And this is somewhat in protest against the demigods always having to be announced to be demigods. Thought it was time for something fresh, and so, I came up with this. **

Guest chapter 15 . Jul 27, 2014

DID IT HURT WHEN YOUR AND YOUR WRITING FELL FROM HEAVEN OR WERE YOU CUSHIONED BY YOUR LOYAL FANS?333333

**Cushioned by my loyal fans XD**

Just call me chapter 15 . Jul 23, 2014

Hello! Sorry that this doesn't have a login; I don't have one.

Please keep up the good work! This chapter was amazing and I can't wait for another update.

I'm ready sad that Hazel is dead. :(

But I love this story and really hope that you will put up the next chapter soon. Please?

With lots of admiration,

Me :]

**Get an account. Makes it much easier to keep track of your ****favourite**** stories… and it makes it easier to respond to your reviews. Happy you enjoy the story. **

Guest chapter 15 . Jul 12, 2014

What does the title mean,and what does it represent in the story?

**Think I explained it at some point, but Dark Phoenix refers to it being the Order of the Phoenix and Nico being darker than the usual heroes.**

Anonymous chapter 15 . Jul 2, 2014

I really love your story! It would be really interesting if Nico could meet Hermione's parents during Christmas. It would probably force Nico to reveal some of his background.

**Happy you like it. Well, the thought had crossed my mind, but it would be too much of a detour of writing in the Grangers. Plus, with us never really getting introduced to them, they would count as OCs and I don't want more of them to keep track of.**

Guest chapter 15 . Jun 26, 2014

can you do a chapter where the gods are watching and listening in on this chapter.

**Sorry, won't happen. It will be explained later. Also, writing that kind of stories are not my style.**

unnwone chapter 15 . Jun 24, 2014

HOLY S*** I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU RECOGNISED ME anyway hurry with the chapter please still best story ever also I am so grateful you have this chapter out oh yeah also you got any tips for writing cause I keep trying but I suck!

**Glad you enjoyed the chapter. You will have to be more specific on what tips to your writing you would like though. **

Guest chapter 15 . Jun 18, 2014

You are an amazing author.I understand it may be hard for you to update sometimes because of either time,writer's block,or any other inconvient things that always ,I love how you don't make people perfect and add a touch of ,thanks for the update and have an amazing day!

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

D

**Thanks for the praise and understanding. And the cookies **

ShadowEmber11 chapter 15 . Jun 4, 2014

I think my face is going to be permanently like this-O.O I can practically see the fight happening...and I even ducked when attacks came...Is that normal?I think so...Anyway,back to the story.I loved the way Nico is awesomely awesome with his powers,and the way you created and described his is super amazing too,but sorta clueless like he always is(Don't tell him that.).I can't believe you wrote this amazing of an chapter somehow.I'm in and another thing-Someday Nico will get a flat face from falling on it too much when he's ,that's how demigods are-prone to the way,I really liked Leo's speech. Cookies,marshmallows, chocolate,and whatever you want!(Showers with food)

**Don't know if it's normal reacting that way when reading a story… but the fact that you did makes me very happy, as it means I've accomplished what I hoped for: Giving my readers and experience. As for them falling flat on their faces… I know, but it's kinda fun having them like that. Thank you for the praise, the candies and food. **

authenticCyanide chapter 15 . Jun 3, 2014

This was worth totally worth the wait. I mean 24,00 words dang. The battle description and the character development was astonishing. There really aren't any words to illustrate what you just wrote. This battle was the best like no other author could write it as beautifully as you did. Just wow. Anyway, I felt that Nico and Percy could react to there surrounds a little bit more like when Nico slammed his scythe to the ground and threw a bunch of dust into the air. I expected him to choke on the dust because he was breathing in so heavily and he must have inhaled some amount of dust. Also you could added a bit more sensory detail like how the gale felt when it blasted Nico and Percy back or how the clouds of dust billowed out from underneath the fallen rocks. Just a little thought for you. Anyhow I hope that Jason doesn't attack while Nico is still unconscious. That would be a real bummer. Where was Annabeth standing by the way? Was she in front of the lake or to the side of it? I hope Nico and Lord Hades get some Father and Son time. I hope it's going to be fluffy. I hope that you won't get writer's block and good luck.

**Thank you for the praise and the constructive criticism on how to improve my fight scenes **** Well, Jason didn't attack Nico, but not sure if you think him attacking Percy was less of a bummer XD **

**Hmm. I'm imaging that the team from Camp Half-Blood was either to the side of the lake and somewhere behind it… or on higher grounds. Don't know how fluffy their father and son time will be. Thank you for the concern. How I wish a writer's block had been the only problem coming my way. **

**Again, thank you for the praise and constructive criticism.**

Guest chapter 15 . Jun 1, 2014

D: Well, I feel guilty for being mad at you for not updating sooner. Sorry about that. Is it just me, or is there more talking than actual fighting in this chapter? I don't think that anyone actually talks that much in the middle of a fight XD

**Don't be, you didn't know. Hehe, you would be surprised how much people talk during a fight. It's a good way to stall and to catch one's breath XD**

Guest chapter 15 . Jun 1, 2014

I used to like this story a lot more. You're an amazing author, you have great style, and your description is vivid and just all around amazing. I think what's turning me off from this is that Nico is way over powered. I find it's getting tiresome.

I hope you have a great night (it's night here, could be day where you are, I suppose. Whatever.), and I hope your mental health continues getting better.

**Thank you for the praise on style and descriptions. Overpowered… how so? But I can promise, the battle of chapter 15 will be the most destructive battle between just two demigods. **

general agent678 chapter 15 . Jun 1, 2014

wow your story is amazing i luv everything about it :) i hope percy wont forgive annabeth so easily, im srry but i belive she deservs it. Also is percy gonna be a bit darker now because since his fatal flaw is loyalty, and how nico just betrayed his trust. will nico feel a bit remors since he just fought his cousin to death?cause now he sounds like he has no emotion. i love you story anyway XD

**Thanks **** Well, Percy and Annabeth's relationship has suffered a blow, no doubt about that. Will take some time to fix it… if at all XD As for Nico feeling remorse… if you've read it, what does chapter 16 tell you? But happy you like my story **

Cecld chapter 15 . May 31, 2014

Omg I love this chapter so much. I'm so glad you made Leo one of the good, well a little better understanding Nico's position than the other demigods (cough cough) Jason and Annabeth and Thalia.

Leo's my fav character as well as Nico in the books so I hope maybe, not right now but later into the story they become freinds? Or at least respect each other.

I hope Leo will keep on defending Nico like he just did and I hope he and Nico can at least not dislike each other in the future though I'd really love my two fav characters to become freinds or at least Ally's?

Go Leo! Lol :)

And dam Nico's powerful. Hoping Nico can teach Jason a lesson that all the demigods That what to take him to camp should learn. Just leave him alone! If you don't want to get killed or really badly injured!

Ps is Leo in love with Calypso in this?

Hope you reply, thank you.

Ps LOVE THIS STORY :D

**Well, it struck how similar both Leo and Nico are. As for them becoming friends or allies… that is for me to know and for you to find out XD But they have deep respect for each other. Hehe. I think they might have gotten that hint by now. Direct confrontation doesn't work, so now they might try something else.**

**No, Leo is not in love with Calypso in this fic as he hasn't been (and won't) to her island. **

**Thank you for the praise **

lalala chapter 15 . May 31, 2014

I screamed very loudly when I saw that you updated! Ki hope you will update soon, because im just dieing here! And I totally understand that you had health problems, hope you feel better! Where was draco in all of this? And where the heck were the teachers in the beginning? I loved leo with umbridge, and died laughing at the piggy moment. I am in love with this story, if u get published, tell me, I will buy the book.

**Thank your understanding. And I'm feeling better now, despite everything that has happened since. Where Draco was will be revealed soon enough and I hope chapter 16 answered your other question if you have read it. Hehe. Glad you enjoyed Leo vs Umbridge. It was just too funny to pass up and it seemed like something Leo would say. **

**And thank you for wanting to buy my book if I get published. Don't think I can get much higher praise than that. **

NoAccount chapter 1 . Oct 8, 2014

I am soo sorry O/O. My phone was acting strange and seemed to have copied some lines a few times. I corrected it (Ill get myself a new phone soon, so that hopefully wont happen again):  
>NoAccount<br>Sooo..dear author. I deeply apologise for all this comotion... could it be that we scared you off? Im really sorry, I love this story (regardless of sexuality). Nicos suffering is so heartbreaking and your stile of writing so expressive without being too detailed (that can ruin a story).  
>You also have mastered the perfect balance between active and passive (action scenes,feelings,dialog an so on:-) ) .<br>I have never before read such an enticing fighting scene (I didnt notice the Naruto paralells 'till I rewatched it :-P).  
>So, please forgive us for being so rude, we all adore this story of yours and apreciate your devotion (it must be pretty time consuming to answere all of these posts)<br>I would also love know how it is going to continue, the suspence is practically eating at me becouse Im sencing a confrontation (revealing scenes are often akward and alsome as hell3) I also really liked the sweet justice. They finaly take Nicos problems seriously, VICTORY XD.  
>Ehm... that must be the longest Post I have ever written, sorry about the serious attitude in the begining by the way. And to the other readers, I can ounderstand that there is a lot of conflict going on but please dont overdo it. Sometimed things have to be said, I accept and agree with that, but please dont let yourself get too caried away.<br>I think I speak for everyone when I say, please continue this story WE LOVE IT XD  
>Ps: I really hope I have not offended anyone, it was not my intention and i am really sorry if I did.<br>...Ehm... Ciao ;-)

**Thank you for the apology, but since I don't think you were behind the debate going on, you don't really have to apologize. And no, I'm definitely not scared. I care too much about this story to let someone scare me off from writing this fic. **

**Thank you so much for all of your praise and support. Hehe, no longer a bit fan of Naruto, but's great for inspiration :) And I hope the revelation scenes was satisfying. **

**Don't know if you need a new phone, but I would like to say something: Assuming you will continue reading and want to post a review as a guest, if you don't get an account, please post it on the latest chapter. That way, you can be sure I will answer it unless it just says "Great story" or "update soon."**

**Again, you don't have to apologize and I thank you trying to stop the debate, your praise and support. **


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